Feeds

98908 items (433 unread) in 22 feeds

CNN CNN
MSNBC MSNBC
PHP PHP
Deals Deals
Tech Tech
Web Development Web Development
CNN Money CNN Money
Frugal Blogs Frugal Blogs

BetaNews.Com

Skip to page: 1 2 3 ... 6
 
  • Permalink for 'Turn your Android device's camera into a Geiger counter with DARPA-funded app'

    Turn your Android device's camera into a Geiger counter with DARPA-funded app

    Posted: April 30th, 2012, 1:31pm MDT by Tim Conneally



    Image Insight on Monday announced the first free trial release of GammaPix for Android smartphones, an application that loosely measures gamma radiation with the phone's camera.

    The GammaPix gimmick is that it can detect radiation in different everyday situations, such as cosmic radiation while flying in an airplane, or gamma radiation in medical waste. You simply pull up the app, and begin taking a reading. Under normal circumstances, the camera can grab a complete reading in about five minutes.

    The application uses technology that analyzes video and still imagery for the signature of gamma rays that have hit the image sensor. The measurements themselves indicate the rate of interactions of gamma ray radiation with the particular camera being used, so different phones will yield different results. Image Insight formed in 2010 with the explicit purpose of developing this app under a $679,000 contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

    The application is in no way a replacement for a Geiger Counter or Scintillation Counter, and is intended only for use in non-emergency settings where radiation could be present, furthermore the app only provides non-quantitative measurements for observing variations in gamma ray exposure.

    Still, it's a neat concept.

    Initially, the app will be available as a free trial download in Google Play on specific Android phones, then an iOS version will be released, and a version for first responders will follow.

    Though the app is compatible with phones running Gingerbread and up, it may not work with your device. Setup takes in excess of 20 minutes, and I spent all morning trying to get it to work on the Galaxy Nexus, to no avail. We're going to keep trying with other Android devices today. Let us know how you fare.

    Photo: Bob Orsillo/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet are better by design'

    Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet are better by design

    Posted: April 30th, 2012, 1:21pm MDT by Mike Feibus

    The best-designed Android tablets you can buy today aren’t the sleekest or the sexiest. They’re not the most powerful. And they don’t boast the largest or brightest displays. What they do have, however, are sales. The tablets? The Kindle Fire from Amazon and Barnes & Nobles’ Nook Tablet.

    On a runway awash with thin, pretty models, it’s easy to overlook this pair of plain Janes. But don’t. They are two of the top three largest-selling Android tablets on the market. And their formula should serve as a model for how to succeed in this market if you’re a supplier that’s lacking a throng of breathless fanatics aching to snap up anything you sell.

    According to comScore data for the US market, more Kindle Fires were in use than all other Android tablets combined at the end of February, just its third month on the market. comScore says that 54.4 percent of all Android devices accessing the Internet were Kindle Fires.

    In the same breath in which comScore lauds the Kindle Fire, though, it snubs the Nook Tablet. You see, comScore excluded Nook Tablet from the study, classifying it instead as an e-reader rather than a tablet.

    Microsoft, however, knows a good thing when it sees it. The software giant today invested $300 million in Barnes & Nobles’  ebook spin-off, Newco.

    Regardless of whether Microsoft or comScore understand, both Barnes & Noble and Amazon know they hold the keys to this market: that a successful tablet is built around what I call an “anchor” app. Yes, you can load other apps, just as you would with a general-purpose tablet. But when it’s optimized for a popular app, it’s more compelling than one that’s being marketed by its form factor.

    Think about it this way: would you be more or less likely to consider purchasing a Swiss Army Pocket-able Lump?

    The Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet were two of the four best-selling tablets last year. And they weren’t even available until the fall. The other two -- the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the iPad -- were launched in 2010.

    Savvy CE manufactures have taken a lesson from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Watch for them to unleash tablets designed around other anchor apps beginning late this year. A few of the more attractive anchors:

    1. Gaming. I would argue that Sony’s PlayStation Vita is a gaming-centric tablet. It’s got a browser, Facebook, Twitter and access to an online store where you can go get other apps. Just last week, in fact, Sony added Skype to its app store.

    I’d be shocked, by the way,  if Microsoft wasn’t hard at work on an Xbox-inspired tablet to unveil after Windows 8 is on the market.

    2. Video. I’m shocked that I still see people on planes who are watching movies on portable DVD players. Who is buying these dinosaurs? Regardless, there is obviously a ready-made opportunity for a well-designed video tablet to entice these consumers out of the disc age.

    3. Personal Navigation. The window for this is limited, as the market for single-function GPS devices is already beginning to contract. Nevertheless, it is an established device market that a GPS-centric tablet could tap into and quickly exploit.

    Needless to say, designing a tablet around a popular app isn’t the only ingredient for success. The Vita stands testament to that. As well, there will continue to be a market for sleek and shiny general-purpose tablets. But as Amazon and Barnes & Noble have shown, it’s much easier to coax consumers to pull out their wallets if your tablet does impeccably well what it is they want to do.

    Remember: you can call it a knife and still tuck a toothpick and a fish scaler inside.

    Mike Feibus is principal analyst at TechKnowledge Strategies, a Scottsdale, Ariz., market research firm focusing on client technologies. You can reach him at mike at techknowledge-group dot com.

  • Permalink for 'CyberLink Media Suite 10 Ultra review'

    CyberLink Media Suite 10 Ultra review

    Posted: April 30th, 2012, 12:26pm MDT by Mike Williams

    CyberLink makes some great media software -- PowerDirector is probably the best consumer video editor available today -- but, unsurprisingly, for the most part it isn’t a cheap date. Equipping yourself with the company’s media player, media manager and video editor alone will cost you almost $170, for instance, and that’s before you’ve even thought about disc authoring, file format conversion and other desirable functions.

    Fortunately CyberLink does offer a more cost-effective alternative in the shape of Media Suite 10. This bundles 11 CyberLink packages together, which makes them vastly cheaper: Media Suite 10 Ultra is $129.95 for the complete set, and if you opt for the Pro build instead (more on that later) then it can be yours for only $99.95.

    Sounds good. But what, exactly, do you get for your money? We take a closer look.

    Core Packages

    Buy Media Suite 10 and you’ll get five major CyberLink apps. (We don’t have space to discuss them in detail here, but follow the links if you’d like more information.)

    PowerDVD 12 BD Express caters to your media playback needs, DVD, Blu-Ray and even 3D movies and videos. There’s built-in support for browsing YouTube, Facebook or Flickr, and the program can now even stream content from DLNA servers.

    PowerDirector 10 HE3D is an excellent video editor. Improvements this time include MKV and FLV import, faster rendering, support for 3D video imports and effects, and AVCHD/ BD disc creation.

    And elsewhere, MediaShow 6 Deluxe delivers enhanced media management with new 3D support and improved face tagging; Power2Go 8 DE, the core disc burning tool, can now mount disc images as virtual drives; and PowerProducer 5.5 Ultra is a powerful tool for template-based Blu-ray and DVD authoring.

    We would rate PowerBackup 2.6 Standard as next in importance; it’s a capable tool for backing up your system to DVDs or Blu-ray discs. And MediaEspresso 6.5 Deluxe is a useful application for converting media files into more mobile device-friendly formats, although the large amount of free competition means it doesn’t quite have the value it once did.

    And the remaining applications are less important: some people might like them, others may use them rarely, if at all. So for instance, WaveEditor 2 Standard allows you to edit audio files and create mobile ring tones; PowerDVD Copy 1.5 Standard makes quality DVD movie backups, including automatically compressing dual-layer content to fit 8.5GB onto a 4.7GB DVD; LabelPrint 2.6 Standard is an easy-to-use tool for designing and printing disc labels, and InstantBurn 5 Standard is a packet writing app which allows you to drag and drop files to DVDs or Blu-ray discs just as though they were another hard drive.

    Not all the bundled packages are particularly important, then. And media-wise, there’s a notable shortage of photo-editing power (MediaShow has some editing options but nothing exceptional). Still, that’s not necessarily a problem: there are at least five applications here with significant commercial value, and as long as you’ll use three or maybe four of these then Media Suite still looks like a good buy.

    Integration

    When you’ve this much functionality on offer, it can be hard to know which program you should launch to carry out a particular task. But fortunately CyberLink has provided PowerStarter, a simple front-end menu system that generally points you in the right direction.

    Essentially the program breaks down your media life into six tabbed areas: Movie, Video, Photo, Music, Data & Backup and Utilities. Clicking any of these displays a set of related tasks, so choosing “Video” gives you “Play Video Files”, “Advanced Video Editing”, “Upload to Social Networks” and so on. And clicking any of these then launches the appropriate program: easy.

    This integration has its limits. You’re still working with a set of 11 individual applications underneath, for instance, and these will individually ask you for registration: you can’t register everything in a single action.

    And initially we were a little annoyed to see pop-up ads and “upgrade!” messages when we first launched some applications. This may seem like a budget deal to CyberLink, but if we’ve just spent $129.95 on a suite then we’d like to think the company can give the marketing a rest for a while.

    We only saw a few of those messages, though, and they can probably all be disabled from PowerStarter’s settings (clear “Receive CyberLink product information”). So on balance this seems to work well enough, with the program quickly leading you to whatever features or functionality you need.

    Which Version?

    The key point to remember when you’re thinking about purchasing Media Suite 10 Ultra is that it doesn’t include the full stand-alone versions of every package: in a few cases these are cut down, and in ways you might not always expect.

    The most significant example of this is PowerDirector, where you get the HE3D build. This has some of the high-end Ultra features, including 3D display support; the ability to convert 2D videos to 3D; 3D video effects, and full Blu-ray and AVCHD disc burning. But at the same time, you don’t get features like full HD preview; 3D particle effects, and TrueTheater video enhancement. There are less templates for things like slideshows, and some output options are missing (you can’t save projects in QuickTime format, for example).

    And your Power2Go 8 DE build also has some omissions, in particular being unable to create system recovery or video discs. (You can use PowerProducer for your video authoring, of course, but the absence of system recovery options is a shame.)

    You shouldn’t let this put you off entirely. Buy even the most basic stand-alone version of everything here and you’ll pay around $430, so even if there are a few missing features then Media Suite 10 Ultra’s $129.95 price tag still looks like an excellent deal (as long as you’ll make significant use of 3 or 4 of the programs, anyway).

    And in theory you can save even more cash by opting for Media Suite 10 Pro. It has the same packages, but drops Blu-ray movie playback and most 3D support, amongst a few other issues, and can be yours for $99.95.

    Whatever edition you’re looking at, though, it’s wise to be cautious. We think Media Suite 10 is a great way to introduce yourself to the CyberLink range, but it is possible that the various restrictions and omissions could prove annoying to some, so we would strongly recommend that you take the trial build for a spin before you buy.

    Photo Credit:  Alex Kosev/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'LG enables real-time content sharing via new cloud service'

    LG enables real-time content sharing via new cloud service

    Posted: April 30th, 2012, 12:03pm MDT by Ed Oswald

    LG will enter the cloud on Tuesday, debuting a new service aimed at sharing content across multiple devices. LG Cloud consists of apps for the Android and PCs, as well as LG's own line of smart televisions.

    LG Cloud is part of a broader effort by the company to focus on both services and hardware. The offering will become part of a new LG division called the Smart Business Center, which is tasked with developing content and other services for its smart devices.

    It's a wise move: content and services have much lower overhead compared to hardware. Low-margin services can lift hardware sales.

    "Most companies today only see the cloud as a storage device or in the case of YouTube or Flickr, only for one type of content", LG Home Entertainment president and CEO Havis Kwon says. He argues that consumers wish to get their content from a single location, and that was the genesis behind LG Cloud. "Our solution is about making life more convenient".

    Unlike other cloud services, the transcoding to produce content for various devices occurs in real-time. This means videos on one device that are shared in the cloud are almost instantaneously available on any other device connected to the cloud. LG says that no other streaming cloud service currently offers such a feature.

    Transcoding is a serious issue when it comes to cloud media streaming. Video on one screen may not look good (or be compatible) with another. This has traditionally been done after the fact though, and not automatically. LG hopes that such a feature will attract consumers to its offering. It will also be able to successfully transcode 3D content for viewing on 3D-compatible devices, LG says.

    LG Cloud will be available as both free and premium services, with pricing and storage varying depending on the market. The company did not say whether it plans to make a version of its mobile app compatible with the iOS platform.

    Photo Credit: Toria/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'DensityScout sniffs out malware in compressed files'

    DensityScout sniffs out malware in compressed files

    Posted: April 30th, 2012, 9:30am MDT by Mike Williams

    You think your PC is infected by something dangerous, but your regular antivirus package hasn’t raised any alerts. So what now?

    This is a question we cover fairly often here. Only last week we reported on the latest version of Mandiant Redline, which will scan your system’s executables and highlight those most likely to be malware. Now, CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) Austria has come up with another small contribution in DensityScout; it’s not for PC novices, but if you’re an expert computer user then you could find the program very helpful indeed.

    What DensityScout essentially tries to do is identify files in a given folder path that have been packed. This is a technique commonly used by malware to obfuscate or encrypt its contents, making it more difficult for regular scanners to identify the threat (although it’s also used by many legitimate programs, so you need to be cautious how you interpret its results).

    And the program uses a simple mathematical idea to figure this out. Standard unpacked executable files will have an uneven spread of bytes; that is, some byte patterns will occur more often than others due to structures in the file. But the packing process means you’ll have a much more even distribution of byte usage throughout the file, and so by calculating and reporting on a file’s density (which the author says is similar to entropy, though we’re still awaiting the precise details), you can more easily find possible malware.

    So what does this mean? The author recommends launching the program with a line like this:

    densityscout -s cpl,exe,dll,ocx,sys,scr -p 0.1 -o results.txt c:\Windows\System32

    (Be sure to read his SANS blog post on DensityScout for the full details.)

    Which essentially means scan all the executable files in the Windows System32 folder, saving the data to results.txt. Those results are then placed in order, with the lowest and most suspect values at the top. Which, on our test Windows 7 system, started like this:

    (0.02417) | c:\Windows\System32\FlashPlayerInstaller.exe
    (0.16460) | c:\Windows\System32\DivX.dll
    (0.22350) | c:\Windows\System32\iglhsip32.dll
    (0.28759) | c:\Windows\System32\AuthFWGP.dll

    That’s not bad at all. The program has immediately highlighted a couple of non-system files within the \Windows\System32 folder (and there were other examples further down the list).

    But it also illustrates the problem with DensityScout: legitimate files may be packed, too, so you need to interpret these results with care. And you certainly can’t scan an entire system and expect useful results (if nothing else it’ll take too long; the program must count every byte in the scanned file types so isn’t too speedy).

    Still, we were impressed by DensityScout’s ability to highlight packed files in our Windows folders. And they’re a common target area for malware, so even if you never use the program for anything else, then its ability to check those locations could be very useful. Just be sure to very carefully research any files it throws up, because being packed does not necessarily mean a program has any malicious intent.

    Photo Credit: infografick/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'What timing, avast! Free Antivirus for Mac exits beta as OS X security concerns escalate'

    What timing, avast! Free Antivirus for Mac exits beta as OS X security concerns escalate

    Posted: April 30th, 2012, 9:19am MDT by Mark Wilson


    Macs have been in the news more than normal recently. The Flashback Trojan shows the platform is just as prone to viruses and malware as Windows and other operating systems.  Many Mac users believe -- wrongly, it might be added -- that OS X is immune to malware and does not need any form of protection. The latest high-profile infestation highlights the need for Mac security tools and; with almost uncanny timing, avast! Free Antivirus for Mac has exited beta and gone gold.

    Software from avast! has been available for Windows for quite some time, and the Mac version of software is based on the same protection engine. The app is broken down into three basic areas -- File System Shield, Mail Shield and Web Shield -- and if you have used the Windows version of the tool, you’ll know pretty much what to expect. As is becoming increasingly common, this security tool takes advantage of community reporting to improve the analysis of suspicious files, helping to allow for faster responses to emerging threats.

    Individual files can be scanned for infection by dragging them onto the app interface, but you also have the option of running scans of your entire system, including removable media and network locations. The Web Shield works in conjunction with the WebRep browser plugin -- available for Safari, Chrome and Firefox -- helping to protect against malicious phishing web sites as you spend time online.

    Unlike some security software, when avast! say that their software is free, they mean that it is free. This is true for both home users and businesses, which is great news for any small company looking to keep costs to a minimum while maintaining the security that is so important.

    You can find out more and download your free copy of the program by paying a visit to the avast! Free Antivirus for Mac review page.

    Photo Credit: Jirsak/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Want more from Firefox 12? Try Pale Moon or Waterfox'

    Want more from Firefox 12? Try Pale Moon or Waterfox

    Posted: April 30th, 2012, 9:01am MDT by Mike Williams

    If you were unimpressed by the fairly unexciting appearance of Firefox 12 last week, then today does at least bring some browsing alternatives by way of the performance-optimized spinoff projects, Pale Moon 12 and Waterfox 12. And although the lack of additions to the broader code base means they’re both essentially maintenance releases, there is still some interesting news here.

    Pale Moon 12 notably has not moved to a silent install method, for instance, which means it won’t provide the maintenance service. The developer tells us there are several reasons for this, not least “the fact that Pale Moon has always been in favor of giving users the choice when and where to download and install an update to what is for most people the heart of their on-line experience”.

    Further, the Pale Moon 12 Release Notes also explain that “instead of following the rapid release schedule of Mozilla, the browser will use version 12, a properly matured build with essential functionality, as a base to make incremental updates upon.” Which, the document states, means there will be less need to “go off on the “Web OS”/”Metro”/”Desktop integration” tangent that goes against Pale Moon’s goals of being and remaining a web browser”, while giving the developer more time to implement things that he thinks are actually worth doing.

    But this time, anyway, the Pale Moon 12 changes are relatively small. Updates to the status bar code, the HTML5 media controls and localisation of the status bar preferences into three additional languages (German, French and Spanish) being probably top of the list.

    And if you prefer Waterfox 12, the custom 64-bit version of Firefox, then that’s also now available. Again, the lack of movement in the core code means that items like “Page Source now has line numbers” rank surprisingly highly on the “What’s New” list, but of course it still includes some useful security fixes, so if you’re already a Waterfox fan then it’s a very good idea to upgrade.

  • Permalink for 'Microsoft, Barnes & Noble teach Apple and Amazon a lesson about educational ebooks'

    Microsoft, Barnes & Noble teach Apple and Amazon a lesson about educational ebooks

    Posted: April 30th, 2012, 8:52am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Nobody partners, or negotiates deals, like Microsoft. That's evident from today's stunning agreement with Barnes & Noble, which is sure to turn the ebook market on its head. The two will jointly invest in Newco, temporary name for ebook venture that incorporates B&N's digital and College business divisions. B&N gets partner in Microsoft, which invests $300 million, for 17.6 percent stake; both parties end ongoing patent disputes, largely related to Android; and Microsoft launches Windows 8 with native Nook Reader application. All around it's win-win, after losing a decade ago.

    That's right, Barnes & Noble and Microsoft have been here before, in pioneering ebook ventures that failed. Both companies jumped on ebooks back when Amazon, which makes the popular Kindle, was still just a struggling Web 2.0 startup. Microsoft Reader led the first big ebook push at the turn of the century, and Barnes & Noble launched its original e-bookstore using the software. I bought my first ebooks there about 12 years ago. But by late 2003, it was over; Barnes & Noble gave up on ebooks -- a market later re-entered only after Amazon's Kindle success. Microsoft kept producing Reader software, but that's done, too, when the software retires on August 30.

    Starting Behind

    The newer initiative is hugely strategic for the companies. Amazon and Apple have taken early leadership in standard and educational ebooks. For example, Amazon rents e-textbooks, while Apple offers software and service for making and selling them -- and both companies tout aggressively low prices compared to printed textbooks. B&N offers Nook Study, which lets students rent or buy e-textbooks.

    Meanwhile, Microsoft has fallen way behind in tablets, a market it shepherded a decade ago only to see Apple and Amazon snatch it away in just two years. According to IDC, the two companies commanded 71.5 percent of the global tablet market in fourth quarter. At the end of February, in the United States, Amazon led Android tablets, with 54.4 percent share, according to comScore.

    Windows 8, and its touch-oriented Metro user interface, is Microsoft's platform for regaining tablet momentum. The partnership assures availability of a native ereader app and hungry partner. Both companies are hungry, and ready to compete hard against Apple and Amazon.

    "The formation of Newco and our relationship with Microsoft are important parts of our strategy to capitalize on the rapid growth of the Nook business, and to solidify our position as a leader in the exploding market for digital content in the consumer and education segments", B&N CEO William Lynch says. "Microsoft’s investment in Newco, and our exciting collaboration to bring world-class digital reading technologies and content to the Windows platform and its hundreds of millions of users, will allow us to significantly expand the business".

    Read Me

    But Microsoft is in the midsts of a major architectural shift that competitively is ill-timed. "Because the Metro user experience also includes new software architecture and the new Microsoft Store for apps, it will take time for the developer ecosystem to build", Forrester Research analyst Frank Gillette writes in report "Tablets Will Rule The Future Personal Computing Landscape", published last week. "As a result, it will take most of 2013 for the Microsoft ecosystem to create a fully capable Windows Metro experience for customers, pushing sales acceleration to 2014. Once rolling, however, we expect Microsoft will be a significant player, but one chasing a leader with a multiyear head start". That leader is Apple.

    Gillette forecasts that tablet shipment compound annual growth rate will be 46 percent through 2016, when global number will reach 375 million, up from 56 million last year. He estimates that the tablet install base will be 760 million tablets, compared to 2 billion PCs. He predicts that by the time Windows tablets begin to make significant share gains in two years, Apple and Amazon will both have aggressively expanded the platforms to enterprise software developers. Other than education, Amazon's focus is all consumer today.

    "Our complementary assets will accelerate e-reading innovation across a broad range of Windows devices, enabling people to not just read stories, but to be part of them", says Microsoft mobile chief Andy Lees. "We’re at the cusp of a revolution in reading". That's the key point for the software giant. Tablets and ereaders are products sure to converge, as Kindle Fire, iPad and even Nook demonstrate.

    But there's something else: Android. Today, Nook runs a customized Android version, not Windows anything. The deal effectively ends Microsoft patent litigation against Barnes & Noble and leaves Google's Motorola Mobility subsidiary as last major Android licensee not to cut a deal with Microsoft.

    What's that saying? Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer? Microsoft cuts deals with competitors as easily as partners -- and they're often one in the same -- for monetary or strategic gain, which is both here.

    Photo Credit: Tischenko Irina/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'It’s a race to the bottom, and IBM is winning'

    It’s a race to the bottom, and IBM is winning

    Posted: April 29th, 2012, 12:30pm MDT by Robert X. Cringely

    Third in a series. The current irrationality at IBM described in my two previous columns, here and here, is not new. Big Blue has been in crazy raptures before. One was the development of the System 360 in the 1960s when T.J. Watson Jr. bet the company and won big, though it took two tries and almost killed the outfit along the way. So there’s a legacy of heroic miracles at IBM, though it has been a long while since one really paid off.

    There are those who would strongly disagree with this last statement. They’d say that with its strong financial performance IBM is right now in one of its greater moments. But haven’t we just spent 2000 words showing that’s not true? Successful companies aren’t heartsick and IBM today is exactly that, so the company is not a success.

    Looking back over the 35 years I’ve been covering this story I can see in IBM an emotional and financial sine wave as rapture leads to depression then to rapture again, much of it based on wishful thinking. The first IBM rapture I experienced was pre-PC under CEO John Opel, when someone in finance came up with the idea of selling to IBM’s mainframe customers the computers they’d been leasing.  Sales and profits exploded and the amazing thing was the company began writing financial plans based not only on the idea that this conversion largess would continue essentially forever but that it would actually increase over time, though obviously there were only so many leases to be sold.

    When the conversions inevitably ended, IBM execs were shocked, but Opel was gone by then, which may have set another important precedent of IBM CEOs getting out of Dodge before their particular shit hits the fan. We see that most recently in Sam Palmisano, safely out to pasture with $127 million for his trouble, though at the cost of a shattered IBM.

    Thanks for nothing, Sam.

    Opel was followed by John Akers, who enjoyed for a time the success of the IBM PC, though Bill Lowe told me that IBM never did make a profit on PCs. No wonder they aren’t in that business today. Akers‘ departure was particular gruesome but it led to IBM looking outside for a leader for the first time, hiring Lou Gerstner, formerly of American Express.

    Gerstner created the current IBM miracle of offering high-margin IT services to big customers. It was a gimmick, an expedient to save IBM from a dismal low point, but of course it was soon integrated into IBM processes and then into religion and here we are today with an IBM that’s half IT company, half cargo cult, unable to get beyond Gerstner’s stopgap solution.

    Ironically, in Palmisano’s effort to continue Gerstner’s legacy, he destroyed almost every one of his predecessor’s real accomplishments.

    Living in Denial

    Where will future IBM growth come from? Wherever it comes from, can IBM execute on its plan to grow new businesses using cheap, underskilled offshore talent?  If Global Services is struggling to hang on, how well will this work for the new IBM growth businesses coming up?  As IBM infuriates more and more of its customers, how long can IBM expect to keep selling big ticket products and services to those very same customers?

    Global Services is a mature business that has been around for about 20 years.  In IBM’s 2015 business plan big income is expected from newer businesses like Business Analytics, Cloud and Smarter Computing and Smarter Planet.  Can these businesses be grown in three to five years to the multi-billion dollar level of gross profit coming from Global Services?  Most of these businesses are tiny.  A few of them are not even well conceived as businesses.  It takes special skills and commitment to grow a business from nothing to the $1 billion range.  Does IBM have what it takes?

    Probably not.

    Do you remember eBusiness?  Do you remember On-Demand?  These are recent examples of businesses IBM planned to grow to billions in sales, businesses that no longer exist today.  Some claim that Blue Gene is shortly to be shuttered, too.

    Here’s a simple thought experiment. When it comes to these new software and Internet services, IBM’s competition comes from a variety of companies including Amazon, Apple, Dell, Google, Hewlett Packard, Oracle and others. Does IBM have an inherent advantage at this point against any of those companies? No. Is IBM in any way superior to all of them and thence in a position to claim dominance? No.

    IBM isn’t smarter, richer, faster moving, better connected. They may be willing to promise more, but if they can’t also deliver on those promises, any advantage will disappear.

    IBM is still buying profitable businesses, of course, imposing on them IBM processes, cutting costs and squeezing profits until customers inevitably disappear and it is time to buy another company. It’s a survival technique but hardly a recipe for greatness.

    My opinion is that IBM’s services business profit will continue to decline as they try to cost cut into prosperity. Unless they find a way to grow revenue and provide a quality product (service), they’re either headed for a sell-off of the entire service business, probably to some Indian partner, or to a complete implosion. In short, it’s a race to the bottom, and IBM is winning.

    Killing the cash cow

    Yes but, readers tell me, that’s just services, not the real IBM.

    There is no real IBM, not any longer.

    The company has become a cash cow. You never feed a cash cow, just take money out until the cow is dead.

    Hardly respect for the individual, eh?

    If IBM is planning a 78-percent staff reduction, then that will of necessity involve all USA operations, not just Global Services.  Hardware, systems, software, storage, consulting, etc. will all see serious staff cuts. This means IBM could be moving a lot of its manufacturing and product support offshore. Raleigh, Lexington, Rochester, and several other IBM communities are about to lose a lot of jobs.

    Every non-executive job at IBM is viewed as a commodity that can be farmed out to anyone, anywhere.

    IBM was once so special but today there’s little difference between IBM, AOL, or Yahoo except that IBM has better PR. All three are profitable, something we tend to forget when it comes to AOL and Yahoo. All three are effectively adrift. All three are steadily selling off the bits of themselves that no longer seem to work. When Global Services is gone, what will IBM sell next?

    Everything else.

    Reprinted with permission.

    Also in this series: "The Downfall of IBM"; "Why is IBM sneaking around?"; "How do we just fix IBM?"

    Photo Credits: Lisa F. Young/Shutterstock (top); wendelit teodoro/360Fashion (Cringley -- below)

    Robert X. Cringely has worked in and around the PC business for more than 30 years. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, Forbes, Upside, Success, Worth, and many other magazines and newspapers. Most recently, Cringely was the host and writer of the Maryland Public Television documentary "The Tranformation Age: Surviving a Technology Revolution with Robert X. Cringely".

  • Permalink for 'Say goodbye to April with one of these 36 downloads'

    Say goodbye to April with one of these 36 downloads

    Posted: April 29th, 2012, 11:40am MDT by Mark Wilson

    Cloud was the big news this past week, and there were exciting developments in the world of online storage. After what seems like years of waiting, Google Drive 1.0 finally released, extending the idea of Docs and providing users with the opportunity to store any files they want online and keept them synched with their computers. There’s also a mobile version of the app available, Google Drive for Android 1.0.77, that enables access toyour files on the move.

    Ubuntu One 2.0.3 has nothing whatsoever to do with the operating system of the same name, but provides you with 5GB of free space for storage and backups. Cloud storage stalwart Dropbox 1.4.0 has been updated and finally becomes stable, as well as adding batch uploading and importing of photos Meanwhile, Microsoft released Microsoft SkyDrive 2012 v16.4 and Microsoft SkyDrive 2.0 iOS with reduced storage levels.

    For managing the space on your local hard drive, IObit Uninstaller 2.2 enables you to keep things neat and tidy by removing unnecessary program and toolbars, while CCleaner 3.18 and CCleaner 3.18 Portable provide you with more advanced cleanup options. If you find that Explorer is too limited for your file management needs, XYplorer 11.00 provides you with a dual-paned interface and a host of feature that make it easy to work with files and folders – albeit at a price.

    VirtualBox 4.1.14 has been updated for anyone looking to virtualize an operating system, fixing a range of known issues whileVirtualBox Extension Pack 4.1.14 adds handy extra features such as a USB 2.0 controller.

    It was a big week for Mozilla browsers with the release of Firefox 12 FINAL and Firefox 12 Portable 12, which have now moved into the stable channel, although there isn’t a great deal to look at in terms of new features. Firefox 13 Beta features a redesigned New Tab pages, while Firefox Aurora 14.0a2 adds support for Windows 8’s Metro interface. Firefox Nightly 15.0a1 (32-bit) and Firefox Nightly 15.0a1 (64-bit) give glimpses of the future of Firefox, although they are not recommended for the faint-hearted.

    For anyone who is keen to keep an eye on the latest interface changes coming in future versions of Mozilla’s web browser, Firefox 15.0a1 UX (32-bit) and Firefox 15.0a1 UX (64-bit) should interest. Mozilla is about more than its web browser, and Thunderbird 12 FINAL keeps the version numbering in line with Firefox and both this standard app and the portable version, Mozilla Thunderbird Portable 12.0, include search improvements and more.

    There were a number of noteworthy security releases this past week, including Emsisoft Anti-Malware 6.5.0.11, which keeps your computer free from unwanted nasties and includes speed improvemens as well as new plugins for Outlook.

    Norton Identity Safe 2012.6.0.72, Norton Identity Safe iOS 1.0.50 and Norton Identity Safe Android 1.0.1 are new, free tools from Symantec that can be used to securely store passwords in an encrypted database and quickly enter personal information into online forms. Not content with updating SkyDrive and announcing a future update to the public preview of Windows 8, Microsoft have also release Microsoft Security Essentials 4 FINAL [32-bit] and Microsoft Security Essentials 4 FINAL [64-bit], which boast improved performance and is available free of charge for small businesses.

    Getting a little more creative, CyberLink Media Suite 10 Ultra is a staggeringly feature-packed suite that comprises no less than eleven separate tools for viewing, editing, managing and sharing your media collection. If you encode videos yourself, you will know exactly what format it is in, but you may well encounter other videos online that won't play back. This may well be because you do not have the necessary codecs installed and this is where codec packs are useful; released this week were K-Lite Codec Pack Basic 8.7.0, K-Lite Codec Pack Standard 8.7.0,  K-Lite Codec Pack Mega 8.7.0 and K-Lite Codec Pack Full 8.7.0.

    The final releases in this week’s roundup will be of interest to mobile users. Twitter 4.2 for iOS and Twitter 3.2.0 for Android have been updated to feature better push notifications as well as a redesigned Discover section. If you’re using social media for professional purposes, LinkedIn for iOS 5.0 will be of interest as it is now a universal app and also features iOS calendar integration.

    This has been a particular busy week for releases, and the coming seven days look like being just as exciting. Our next roundup kicks of May goodies.

    Photo Credit: CCimage/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Cobian Backup 11 exits beta, adds new features'

    Cobian Backup 11 exits beta, adds new features

    Posted: April 28th, 2012, 4:42pm MDT by Mark Wilson

    Looking for a backup tool? There is plenty of choice for even the pickiest of software connoisseurs. Aside from the irritating aspect of having to actually get a backup job set up, one thing that puts many people off safeguarding their valuable data by backing it up is the cost of the necessary software.  Cobian Backup 11 is one of a number of free backup tools vying for users’ attention and it boasts an impressive array of features.

    If you have followed the app's development, the move to version 11 introduces a number of new features as well as tweaks to existing favorites. There is now support for AES encryption, better remote management and the ability to use tasks within groups.  The important thing to remember with any backup regime is that your files are only truly safe if you back them up regularly. Rather than relying on memory, it is better to have an automatic schedule in place, and this is definitely something that Cobian Backup can help you out with.

    The range of scheduling options is impressive and there are various new system events that can be used as triggers rather than just relying on dates and times. For example, you may choose to run a backup at startup, or on the third Tuesday of the month, or before computer suspension. If you have configured multiple backups -- you may want to backup music files and image separately, for instance -- one task can be used as trigger for another.

    Other enhancements see the addition of the ability to limit the number of differential backups that are retained, meaning that you are able to place restrictions on the amount of space that has to be set aside to house backups. With features such as FTP backups, both as source and destination, strong compression and encryption and much more besides. It’s easy to be put off the idea of using free software, particular for something as important as backing up data, but this is a tool that deserves serious attention.

    You can find out more and download a free copy of the program by paying a visit to the Cobian Backup 11 review page.

    Photo Credit: Raimundas/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Google has lost control of Android'

    Google has lost control of Android

    Posted: April 28th, 2012, 4:34pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    There was great news on the Android front this week. Samsung reported blow-out earnings, with smartphones -- the majority running Android -- accounting for nearly three-quarters of profits. Meanwhile comScore data spotlights the growing US Android tablet market. Additionally, Google started selling Galaxy Nexus direct, with no carrier contract, for $399. But all three share something in common -- what they foreshadow. Google has lost control of Android, and must swiftly act to regain it.

    Forrester Research predicts that proprietary Android will surpass the Google Android ecosystem by 2015. Stated differently, Google's open-source mobile platform risks fracturing into multiple fatally fragmented Android ecosystems. Not one but many. There is little time for Google to demonstrate decisive leadership that can keep the ecosystem largely intact.

    Only a miraculous Google I/O developer conference can take back Android, but challenges remain. Big ones. Google's problem: Two partners are overwhelming successful, while the majority limp along, and one hurts the entire Android ecosystem. Apple is now the least of concerns. Putting Amazon and Samsung in their place is more important.

    Burning Platform

    In February 2011, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop wrongly called Symbian (and Meego, too) a "burning platform". The term better applies to Android on tablets, where Amazon's Kindle Fire is in process of burning down the ecosystem. I've repeatedly warned this could happen. In December, I explained how Google's forthcoming tablet would be a year too late, as Amazon fills the leadership vacuum left by the search and information giant. In March, I focused on the Amazon problem in context of the broader Android platform. Earlier this month, I explained that, contrary to some popular punditry, Google's forthcoming tablet is more about Amazon than Apple.

    comScore data released Thursday deeply troubles any future Android ecosystem analysis. Amazon started selling Kindle Fire in mid November. By end of December, the tablet already had captured 29.4 percent US share, putting it head of the Galaxy Tab family (23.8 percent). Over the following two months, Kindle Fire took sales from every other Android tablet, ending February with stunning 54.4 percent market share. Tab family ranked second followed by Motorola XOOM, with 15.4 percent and 7 percent share, respectively.

    Other numbers also forebode. During fourth quarter, Android tablet share reached 44.6 percent, up from 32.3 percent three months earlier, according to IDC. Kindle Fire largely accounted for overall Android share gains. Looked at differently, two tablet makers, Amazon and Apple, accounted for 71.5 percent of shipments. Stated another way, the majority of tablets shipped during fourth quarter run iOS and Amazon Android.

    I make an important distinction, because Amazon has largely customized Android, right down to the web browser and offers its own app store. The retailer is building its own ecosystem separate from the larger one Google leads. Amazon's objectives are contrary to Google's. For example, if I type the web address to Google Play into the Silk browser on my wife's Kindle Fire, Amazon's Android app store opens instead. On other Android tablets, Google Play is default but there is option to sideload from other stores, including Amazon's.

    Kindle Fire's continued success is good for driving up Android shipments against iPad, but it's bad broadly, coming at the expense of the larger Android ecosystem.

    "The Barnes & Noble Nook tablets are another example of proprietary Android tablets, which don’t support all Android functionality and thus according to Google cannot be labeled an Android device," Forrester analyst Frank Gillette writes in report "Tablets Will Rule The Future Personal Computing Landscape", which published this week. "The popularity of these content-driven devices will cause proprietary Android share to surpass the installed base of Google’s Android ecosystem in 2015. This further fragmentation will challenge Android developers, customers, and especially enterprises, and hamper the creation of a shared ecosystem". (See Forrester Research chart directly below.)

    Blueprint for Imitators

    Amazon's success is blueprint for other Android licensees, particularly as tablets spread across the planet. Forrester Research sees tablets displacing and eventually replacing PCs, with iPad market leader in most geographies, including China, for at least four more years. Tablet shipment compound annual growth rate will be 46 percent through 2016, when global number will reach 375 million, up from 56 million last year. The analyst firm predicts install base of 760 million tablets, compared to 2 billion PCs.

    "Forrester believes that emerging markets will account for 40 percent of tablets sold in 2016, and that Apple will do well in these markets due to strong product and brand appeal", Gillette observes. "Despite Android plays from low-price local vendors such as eBen, as well as the retail footprint of Lenovo, Apple market share in China will remain above the global average. Even in 2011, 17 percent of metropolitan Chinese online adults 18 and older reported owning a tablet, versus 11 percent of US online adults".

    What that means: There will be as much, if not more, competition among Android tablet makers than with Apple. That's good for customer choice but risks fracturing Android into multiple ecosystems. Microsoft prevented this with Windows by, for years, limiting how much OEMs can customize the operating system. Android's open-source license, and Google's listless leadership, allows OEMs incredible freedom, and perhaps too much.

    Amazon uses that freedom wisely, as do other tablet makers -- and even more so smartphone OEMs (more on that in next section). Unlike other Android tablet manufacturers, Amazon takes complete control over the entire stack. Kindle Fire features the aforementioned Amazon-customized version of Android 2.x, its own Android app store, music and movie stores, ebook store, web browser and customized media consumption software and services. Sony is closest, followed by Samsung, among Android tablet manufacturers.

    Amazon is creating a curated experience that matches Apple's and, in some respects, exceeds it. Consumers can buy Kindle books for Fire, but read them on their iPhone, Android handset or other device. Amazon allows movies and music on Kindle Fire or other devices. From Apple it's just devices supporting iTunes Store. People buying into the Amazon lifestyle get Kindle Fire plus something else. That's an added benefit not available from Apple or other Android tablet vendors -- okay, Sony is closest.

    Amazon prioritizes features and pricing that matter for living one digital lifestyle around its cloud-connected services, rather than offering the latest, hardware and software. Like Apple, Amazon offers a stack of content and services. Kindle Fire isn't about techie features but a digital lifestyle around Amazon products and services.

    Other OEMs are sure to imitate Amazon's success, which really copies Apple's, by doing much more than just skin Android, as Samsung does today on tablets and smartphones with TouchWiz UI. Samsung, not Google dictates, the Galaxy Tab user experience. Not surprisingly, many users upgrading Galaxy Tab 10.1 to Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich) can't much tell the difference, because TouchWiz UI is so pervasive. Samsung also offers a curated experience, just not as deep or as leveraged (because of Amazon.com) as Kindle Fire.

    Samsung's huge success with Galaxy Note, first on smartphones and potentially tablets, is foundation for yet another vertical Android platform, with customized apps and competing ecosystem. That's great for competition and customer choice, but not necessarily good for Android.

    A Galaxy Far, Far Away

    Still, Samsung is a bit player in the tablet market compared to Amazon and Apple -- even with first-to-market advantage over Kindle Fire. But in phones, Samsung is king. During first quarter, the South Korean electronics giant broke Nokia's 14 year reign as global handset market share leader, according to IHS iSuppli and Strategy Analytics. The latter firm puts Samsung ahead of Apple in smartphone shipments -- 44.5 million to 35.1 million.

    Samsung offers three operating systems -- Android, homegrown Bada and Windows Phone. The majority of Samsung smartphones ship with Android, customized with TouchWiz UI, and led by Galaxy S II variants' stunning sales success. Next week, Samsung plans to launch its next flagship smartphone in London, presumably further outclassing iPhone 4S.

    Like tablets, Samsung, not Google, controls the user experience on all but the Nexus series smartphones. At least Samsung adopts the newest Android eventually, unlike Amazon, but TouchWiz skinned. So those international Galaxy S II owners lucky enough to get Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades won't see much of it behind Samsung's skin.

    Samsung does make Galaxy Nexus for Google, but shipments aren't great -- nor broader upgrades from this and other OEMs. According to official Google stats, just 2.9 percent of Android devices, including tablets, ran ICS on April 2nd.

    Updating is where Google's Android control is weakest, and where the company lacks leverage to offer uniform experience across devices or to assure they have the latest OS version. Verizon is shocking example of what's wrong. The nation's largest carrier started selling Galaxy Nexus in December, but has since fallen behind updating what's supposed to be a "pure Google" phone. The moniker refers to Android without alteration, and also promise of frequent and fast upgrades. Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners aren't getting them, unlike users of the HSPA+ international models.

    This week, Google engineer Jean-Baptiste Queru put doubts to rest about who's to blame: "The part that blows my mind is that some variants of the Google-engineered flagship devices still haven't received Ice Cream Sandwich (or are stuck with older versions of Ice Cream Sandwich) because of delays introduced by operator approvals".

    Samsung isn't exactly rushing either, based on Android 4.0 update schedules released this week -- nor HTC and Motorola. Samsung and HTC have little incentive, as they get more benefits from skinning Gingerbread and using that, additional apps and cloud services to differentiate phones between them, among other Android licensees and from iPhone.

    Google Play to Win

    Android 4.0 is many ways classier than iOS 5. ICS feels more fluid and modern, but few people get to experience it. What's that saying about a tree falling in the forest? Few people can appreciate Google's good work or ICS advantages if they can't get it, or if they do, have a skinned experience. Google is right to sell Galaxy Nexus direct, particularly with Verizon shunning updates and limited carrier adoption (here in the United States, no AT&T or T-Mobile).

    Punditry fills the InterWebs about Android fragmentation. The problem is bigger: Platform fracturing into competing ecosystems. That's a scenario Google should seek to prevent, but the success of Amazon and Samsung push that direction.

    Google could take full control of Android, by not releasing future versions to open source and changing licensing terms. The logic: Android is too big to fail, that OEMs would have no other choice but align their customized platforms with the broader Android ecosystem. But so doing also risks alienating Android licensees willing to go elsewhere. For example, Google wouldn't want to lose Samsung, which can fall back on Bada and Windows Phone.

    I see the search and information giant moving down another path, and it's perhaps riskiest of all but with the biggest potential payoff. It's what the company should have done long ago. Renaming Android Market to Google Play, Ice Cream Sandwich's tighter ties to broader Google services -- G+ among them -- and greater cross-integration of cloud and search services, with social as center, is part of a larger, rebranding effort. What Amazon does right, like Apple, Google seeks to do: Sell a digital lifestyle.

    All roads lead to a heavily branded, Google lifestyle around, search, social and mobile that's good for the company and the broader Android ecosystem. Another piece in place: Google Drive launched earlier this week, and the service is clearly primed for tablets.

    Like Amazon and Apple, Google also increasingly offers a curated experience. Galaxy Nexus feels like an end-to-end device, even though Samsung makes the hardware. Now that Google owns Motorola Mobility the next Nexus phone may be homegrown. Certainly the Nexus tablet should be, whether or not it is.

    Google may not unite the overall Android ecosystem but at least provide a place for the smaller licensees and swath of other partners to find stability -- even if Amazon and the like offer fractured platforms.

    If CEO Larry Page and his top managers have any sense, Google will pull the digital lifestyle push together for the I/O developer conference in June. Already, some marketing is in place and really appeals, such as TV commercials for Chrome and Google Plus. What I'd really like to see for I/O:

    • Nexus tablet
    • Chrome 1.0 for Android
    • Chrome beta for iPad and iPhone
    • Android 5.0 preview for "pure Google" devices
    • Smartphone trade-in program, for unlocked, Galaxy Nexus -- for, say, $199
    • Co-marketing program for carriers and OEMs offering newsiest Android version

    There is plenty more Google could do to excite developers and other partners, and lift the market to the newest Android version and in process take control by demonstrating more leadership. If not, Android's biggest enemy won't be iOS, but itself.

  • Permalink for 'Why is IBM sneaking around?'

    Why is IBM sneaking around?

    Posted: April 28th, 2012, 9:58am MDT by Robert X. Cringely

    Second in a series. IBM’s 2015 plan was hatched to deliver $20 earnings-per-share to the delight of Wall Street. IBMers were offered a carrot, a few shares of stock granted at the end of 2015, as a reward for helping them achieve that target. It appears that IBM’s goal is not to issue any of those grants as they continue to conduct resource actions (IBMspeak for permanent layoffs) and remove talented and valuable US employees in favor of moving work to low cost countries such as Brazil, Argentina, India, China and Russia.

    Work that stays onshore is mainly sent to what are called Global Delivery Facilities (GDF’s), two of which were created at heritage IBM locations (Poughkeepsie, NY and Boulder, CO) while starting new ones in Dubuque, IA and most recently Columbia, MO. IBM’s public position is they are creating jobs in smaller towns when in fact they are displacing workers from other parts of the United States by moving jobs to these GDFs or to offshore locations.

    Something not right in Dubuque

    In the case of Dubuque and Columbia, IBM secured heavy incentives from state and local governments to minimize their costs in these locations and are achieving further savings by paying the technical team members, most of whom are new hires or fresh college grads with no experience, a fraction of what experienced support personnel would require.

    Let’s look closer at Dubuque, not because it is any different from the rest of IBM USA but simply to characterize the company at a finer scale.

    When IBM opened the Dubuque center the people of Iowa expected great things.  The center was staffed by a small number of US IBMers in management positions. Big Blue then brought over people from India for "training", then sent them back.  Few H1B visas were even required.

    Every time IBM sent a batch of trainees back to India from Iowa they laid off US workers.  While Dubuque was led to believe they’d get an influx of highly-paid new residents, what the city actually received was a transient workforce of underpaid people -- workers that may well be invisible to local government.  It would be interesting to know how many permanent hires in Dubuque have been Iowa residents or graduates of Iowa universities?  How many workers spend less than a year in Dubuque?  Is Iowa seeing any benefit from the investment they made to open the IBM Dubuque center?

    Whenever IBM has a big project they now have to bring in extra workers, usually from India.  I have been told they plan the arrivals over several days to a few weeks.  They route people through different airports.  They make sure there are never more than two or three workers coming on the same flight, effectively avoiding notice by Homeland Security.

    Are any of these people paying FICA or US income taxes?  Good question. Why is IBM sneaking around? Better question.

    Layoffs by any other Name

    With hundreds of thousands of laid-off IT workers in the USA, why can’t American workers be hired for these positions? Because IBM doesn’t want US employees. Or, for that matter, European employees, though these are harder to jettison.

    Layoffs at IBM are rarely due to job performance, though complaining will get you sacked. Big Blue tends to position these actions as job eliminations, but jobs aren’t usually eliminated, they are just relocated to GDF or GR locations staffed by cheaper workers. IBM manages to skirt the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requiring advance notification of layoffs or plant closings by structuring these resource actions to stay just below the numbers required to provide notifications at given locations. In this way IBM has managed to avoid the mainstream media and touts itself as a good corporate citizen while continuing to expect remaining employees to work 60-70 or more hours per week to keep up with the amount of work.

    These draconian tactics might be justified if survival of the company or the best interests of the customer were involved, but they aren’t. It’s mainly about executive compensation. Meanwhile IBM’s work for customers is becoming increasingly shoddy. Contract terms such as vulnerability scanning, ID revalidations, and security implementations are routinely late or not done at all. Account teams are under continued pressure to meet revenue and cost targets regardless of how poorly the contracts were structured by the sales team. Each business sector has a target to move a certain percentage of their technical work to an offshore Global Resource (GR) or onshore Global Delivery Facility (GDF) as mentioned above.

    IBM’s goal appears to be to have as few employees in the United States as possible, maximizing profit.  But doing so clearly hurts customer satisfaction.

    Major IBM customers such as Amgen, the State of Texas, and most recently the Walt Disney Company have cut ties with IBM in favor of other providers. Many other customers are scaling back services they’re buying from IBM as the perceived value continues to drop. Customers are starting to realize that they can directly hire offshore companies such as TCS, Wipro, HCL and Satayam and book the savings directly instead of paying IBM top dollar for support and then seeing that support fulfilled from BRIC (Brazil, India, Russia and China) countries.

    When IBM first started its big push to offshore technical work, the account teams were asked to make a list of reasons why customers’ work couldn’t be offshored, but were not allowed to use skills as a reason. That makes no sense in a rational organization but it makes perfect sense to IBM.

    Reprinted with permission.

    Also in this series: "The Downfall of IBM"; "It's a race to the bottom, and IBM is winning"; "How do we just fix IBM?"

    Photo Credits: A.S.Floro/Shutterstock (top); wendelit teodoro/360Fashion (Cringley -- below)

    Robert X. Cringely has worked in and around the PC business for more than 30 years. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, Forbes, Upside, Success, Worth, and many other magazines and newspapers. Most recently, Cringely was the host and writer of the Maryland Public Television documentary "The Tranformation Age: Surviving a Technology Revolution with Robert X. Cringely".

  • Permalink for 'Snapheal is super easy, but not heroic [mini-review]'

    Snapheal is super easy, but not heroic [mini-review]

    Posted: April 27th, 2012, 2:31pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Relationships are so flighty these days, you don't know who will dump whom next. The defriended person or ex-lover may be out of your life, but how do you get them out of your photos? Or perhaps you have a simpler problem, one I frequently encounter: People get in the way and ruin your special snapshot. How to get rid of them?

    There are plenty enough free photo apps out there, but many also are fairly complicated to use or offer too few capabilities. Others provide more features, like Adobe Photoshop Elements, but they're pricey and confounding to newbies. C`mon who really wants to fuss with layers? Enter Superheal, which the folks at MacPhun asked me try, touting its magical -- say isn't that how Apple describes iPad -- photo-editing capabilities, such as removing unwanted objects, or people, from your pics. The app also removes facial blemishes or other unsightly distractions.

    Snapheal's logo features a cape and "S" logo and MacPhun uses "superhero" to describe the app. So I put it to appropriate test, removing unwanted objects from a photo of Supergirl taken during Comic-Con 2010. Supergirl is perhaps the most popular photo in my Flickr stream, but serious background distractions take away from her beauty. Look at the original and judge for yourself. Between Supergirl's legs are those of someone else walking behind her. She's a mutant! To the right, there is some guy with gaping mouth -- is he yawning or gawking at the caped heroine? Behind him there is a woman bent over, with skirt pulled up enough to show her underwear. These are super distractions!

    Besides expected formats like JPEG and PNG, Snapheal also can open RAW files. I used the Leica X1, which saves images as Adobe DNG, to shoot Supergirl. The app easily opened photos I had taken in Canon and Nikon RAW, and even from Fujifilm's FinePix X100, which is my current camera. RAW support is a real differentiator in this class and price of software.

    Uncluttered, Uncomplicated

    Snapheal ticked me off almost immediately, by changing file associations without asking my permission. Suddenly, all images, including RAW files, open the photo-editing app. The behavior is simply unacceptable and reason enough to recommend against Snapheal.

    Snapheal's ease of use definitely is a distinguisher. The user interface, while cartoonish for my tastes, is uncomplicated and uncluttered. I had little difficulty discerning what does what. For my test, I went immediately to the main removal tool, which delivered mixed results. I'm to blame for some of that, since I'm not the most adept using a mouse to highlight objects to erase. Let's just say I'm confounded to draw a straight line.

    Like apps with similar capabilities, Snapheal uses the surrounding background to cover objects brushed for removal. This worked out acceptably, but by no means perfectly under close examination, removing the legs between Supergirl's. I had much more trouble removing Mr. Gaping Mouth and Ms. Panties. The app removed the guy's sneaker but then pasted part of it elsewhere. Then the jeans from his pants filled the erased area; not exactly the right mask. A second swipe and wipe did better, as long as there's no close examination.

    Because I didn't get quite as super result as hoped for, the final image crop is tighter than preferred. But at least the distractions are gone, putting more emphasis on Supergirl. I could have done more to the image, such as adjust contrast, exposure, shadows and such -- the kind of capabilities once pro-class that are standard fare in consumer photo apps. There's also background blurring capabilities, which I found to be overly cumbersome for what they do.

    MacPhun emailed today about a weekend special -- the software discounted by 50 percent to $9.99, which was the price when I started the review. Hours later, Snapheal is even less, just $8.99. I probably wouldn't pay 20 bucks for the app, but $9 is just about tempting enough. If you're a Mac user, Snapheal is worth a look. There's a free trial available, or you can buy it from the Mac App Store.

  • Permalink for 'When your AVI is corrupt, try DivXRepair'

    When your AVI is corrupt, try DivXRepair

    Posted: April 27th, 2012, 11:22am MDT by Mike Williams

    It only takes a little damage to corrupt an AVI movie. Some tweaked bits here, maybe a few missing bytes there, and suddenly you may find the picture breaks up at one point, or maybe the video will no longer play at all.

    DivXRepair could offer a simple solution, though. Just launch this compact portable tool, add your broken video, click the Repair button, and in theory at least that’s it. There’s no need to worry about keyframes or other technicalities -- the program will scan your video, skip any bad frames, and try to save everything else in a “fixed” version of the movie (the original will remain untouched).

    Does this work? To find out, we took a few sample AVIs and tried simulating corruption by zeroing large chunks of their content. And on the first few occasions DivXRepair lived up to its name, quickly stripping out the broken section of video and leaving us only with the playable remnants.

    It didn’t always work so well, though. Sometimes the program didn’t carry out any repairs at all. And on other occasions it would report the presence of “bad frames”, but then hang up part-way through the repair process. Which wasn’t so encouraging.

    Still, by way of compensation DivXRepair is portable, a single 881KB executable, and it does deliver good results at least some of the time -- so it’s probably worth having a copy around, “just in case”.

    But for more reliable results you’ll probably need to look elsewhere. VLC Media Player, for instance, will often pick up AVI video problems automatically and can rebuild indexes and solve other issues with a click.

    Photo Credit: Leigh Prather/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Do you know any idiots who play Angry birds and drive?'

    Do you know any idiots who play Angry birds and drive?

    Posted: April 27th, 2012, 11:15am MDT by Ed Oswald

    So um, yeah, I have a confession to make. Even though I've written dozens of stories about the dangers of cell phone use while driving or hell, even criticized Google's Project Glass on international television because it is a distraction, writing this post makes me face the music and my hypocritical ways.

    British insurance company Ingenie released the results of a survey of 1,000 young drivers age 17-25 on Friday. It shows that smartphone apps are becoming an increasing distraction, and one of the biggest culprits is OMGPOP's Draw Something.

    I admit in the early days of playing said game that I had trouble putting it down. A few times I played while driving (They weren't masterpieces, mind you, but the easy ones). Eighteen percent of these kids admit to doing it, too, with 17 percent saying they play another hit game, Angry Birds.

    Even worse is Facebook, with one in three respondents saying they use the social networking site on the road. Still the king of behind-the-wheel distractions is the text message: 44 percent admit to sending one driving, while 62 percent read them.

    "We're in the middle of a perfect storm, where the rapid growth of social media and mobile is creating a new breed of in-car distraction", Ingenie CEO Richard King says. "We're increasingly using smartphones to occupy ourselves during down time, but driving is an active pursuit and it really does need our full attention".

    Young drivers don't deny that smartphone apps are a distraction. A full 58 percent say these apps cause today's youth behind the wheel to be even more distracted, showing that a lot of those using these apps know better (including myself, although I'm eight years older than these folks).

    I guess it's time to put the phone down, eh?

    Now I know the comments are going to fill with more flames than Hades, but before you hit that post comment riddle me this: how many of you have stayed perfectly non-distracted on the road? Many of us are surrounded by our gadgets, and live much of our lives online. I'm sorry but I'm not going to believe everyone's nose is clean on this one.

    But, hey, think of it this way: at least it's limiting road rage, because we're too busy drawing "jlo."

    Photo Credit: Arieliona/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Quickoffice, Android's best office suite, adds powerful new features in version 5.5'

    Quickoffice, Android's best office suite, adds powerful new features in version 5.5

    Posted: April 27th, 2012, 11:10am MDT by Tim Conneally

    Quickoffice Inc. on Thursday evening pushed out a major feature update to its popular Android productivity application family which adds a host of new capabilities to its Word, Excel, and Powerpoint document editors, and adds the new ability to annotate and edit PDF files.

    The new PDF editing feature tops the list of new additions in Quickoffice 5.5, as it allows users to write directly on PDF files, highlight text, insert shapes, and add and remove comments.

    In Quickword, spell check in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish has finally been added, the font selection has been extended, and the ability to edit line spacing has been added. For Android tablet users who also use a keyboard, such as the Asus Transformer, keyboard shortcuts have been added (cut/copy/paste/undo/save.)

    In Quicksheet, the table functionality toolbar has been enhanced and now lets users insert and delete tables, resize, add, delete rows and columns, merge cells or resize a table. Users can also display charts in Word 2007 format, choose from 24 predefined table styles, create a table with one click and use a simple drag gesture with a live in-document preview.

    In Quickpoint, more shapes have been added, bulleted and numbered lists are more easy to insert, and the ability to change images, rotate shapes and duplicate slides for 2007 files has been added.

    Quickoffice Pro and Quickoffice HD Pro 5.5 for Android smartphones and tablets can be downloaded today in Google Play.

  • Permalink for 'The King is dead -- Samsung snatches crown from Nokia and Apple'

    The King is dead -- Samsung snatches crown from Nokia and Apple

    Posted: April 27th, 2012, 9:15am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    On this solemn Friday morning let us bow our heads in a moment of remembrance. The once mighty Nokia has fallen, after reigning supreme over the cellular handset market for 14 years. Apple succumbed in only three months over smartphones. Long live the king. Samsung leads both markets, according to Strategy Analytics.

    I warned you, as did many others. Last week: "Nokia does the Windows Phone death dance". Two weeks ago: "Don't cry for me, iPhone". Samsung shipped 93.5 million phones during first quarter, easily eclipsing Nokia's 82.7 million. Nearly half of Samsung's shipments were smartphones -- 44.5 million, compared to 35.1 million for Apple.

    While Nokia's fall is uncontested, IHS iSuppli disputes Apple's crown, putting Samsung smartphone shipments even lower --- just 32 million. WTH? That's some difference in counting! Neither firm measures sales to end users, just shipments into the channel. Gartner will settle the dispute when issuing Q1 phone sales data.

    Nokia's global handset market share fell from 30.4 percent to 22.5 percent year over year, while Samsung's rose to 25.4 percent from 19.3 percent, according to Strategy Analytics. IHS presents quarter-on-quarter data, which is beyond dismal for Nokia. Shipments sank a startling 27 percent for the once mighty king, in just three months, all while shipping the first Windows Phones in volume. Still, Samsung handset shipments also declined, by 13 percent. The manufacturers shipped 83 million and 92 million units, respectively.

    "Samsung’s surpassing of Nokia for cellphone market leadership represents not only a changing of the guard among handset brands but also a fundamental shift in the structure of the wireless market", Ian Fogg, IHS senior principal analyst, says. "Cellphone market growth is now being generated exclusively by the smartphone segment, and not by the feature phones, entry-level cellphones and ultra-low-cost handsets".

    He emphasizes: "Samsung has successfully ridden the wave of smartphone adoption to attain market leadership. Meanwhile, Nokia is in the midst of transitioning its smartphone strategy, resulting in declining shipments for the company".

    What Timing!

    Both reports couldn't come at a better time for Samsung, which announced earnings today ahead of plans to unveil its next-generation smartphone in London next week. Samsung first quarter operating profit reached 5.85 billion won ($5.15 billion), with handsets generating 4.27 billion won, or nearly three-quarters of profits.

    Samsung's "investments in smartphone hardware and software R&D are paying off", Wayne Lam, IHS senior analyst, says. "The company is not only cashing in on the market’s shift to smartphones, but is also succeeding in other cellphone product categories, allowing it to capture the overall market lead".

    That leaves the question of Apple.

    "Apple achieved its highest ever marketshare in the overall handset category, capturing 10 percent of global shipments during the first quarter of 2012", Tom Kang, Strategy Analytics director, says. "Demand for the new iPhone 4S model remained strong in the United States and Japan, while the recent launch of the 4S in China was a timely contributor to Apple’s rapid growth".

    On Tuesday, Apple announced quarterly earnings, when CEO Tim Cook spent some time discussing China success with financial analysts. The country generated $7.9 billion in revenue, lifting Asia-Pacific above Europe as the second-most valuable region.

    However, iPhone 4S looks considerably dated, in part for lacking LTE, compared to newer Android smartphones -- and Samsung's latest could apply the brakes on sales. "We expect Apple to grow further in the second quarter of the year, but the upcoming launch of Samsung’s new Galaxy S3 flagship model could slow iPhone’s growth in some regions if it is well received by operators and consumers", Kang says.

    Lam agrees. "What makes Samsung’s performance even more impressive is that the company’s latest Galaxy S III handset has yet to be launched, with shipments set to start in May. This indicates Samsung is likely to make further progress in market share in 2012".

    As for Nokia. The king is dead.

  • Permalink for 'LinkedIn 5.0 for iOS supports iPad -- finally'

    LinkedIn 5.0 for iOS supports iPad -- finally

    Posted: April 27th, 2012, 7:33am MDT by Mark Wilson

    Social networking news is not limited to the latest acquisitions by the likes of Facebook; LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, still generates headlines. The big news for iOS users: the app has moved to version 5.0 and heralds, amongst other things, the arrival of the universal version of the app; so with LinkedIn 5.0, iPad users finally get an app that enables them to tae advantage of their Retina display.

    The iPhone version of the app had already come in for some praise, and the move to welcoming iPad owners to the folder looks set to head down the same path thanks to the great design that is prevalent through the interface. With tablet devices becoming increasingly common in the business world as tools of the trade, it’s good to see that apps are evolving to take this into account.

    But there is more than this in the latest version of the app. There have also been changes made to the updates view that makes it easier to see what has been going on in your news feed and what your contacts have been up to. For iPad users the extra space is put to great use, but even iPhone users have access to a wealth of useful information.

    Anyone that uses LinkedIn on a regular basis to keep in touch with business contact and work colleagues will appreciate the new calendar integration. This comes in very handy when you are trying to schedule a meeting with others as it makes it possible to view information about the people that are going to be attending a particular meeting.

    You can find out more and download a free copy of the app by paying a visit to the LinkedIn 5.0 review page.

  • Permalink for 'Dropbox 1.40 auto-uploads photos and videos'

    Dropbox 1.40 auto-uploads photos and videos

    Posted: April 27th, 2012, 7:25am MDT by Nick Peers

    Hot on the heels of its new service allowing users to share files by hyperlink, Dropbox has unveiled Dropbox 1.40 for Windows, Mac and Linux. The new release extends the photo and video uploading tools pioneered in Dropbox for Android, plus allows batch uploading and downloading of files.

    The new features were previously available to those running Dropbox Experimental Edition, the beta version for those happy to trade stability for a sneek peak at the latest features.

    Dropbox 1.40, which offers 2GB free storage space to users via a dedicated Dropbox folder on their desktop, allows desktop and laptop users to simply plug in a camera, phone or SD card. Dropbox will detect the connection and offer to automatically upload all photos and videos from the device to your Dropbox account with just a few clicks.

    Note that photos aren’t resized or optimized when uploaded, so be aware you can quickly use up your 2GB allowance using the service. Mindful of this, Dropbox promises to increase a user’s free storage by 500MB as a reward for using the auto-upload feature for the first time. Moving forward, every time you upload an additional 500MB of photos and videos using the auto-upload feature, you’ll gain another 500MB of free space up to a maximum of 3GB extra space on top of the 2GB already provided.

    Once uploaded, photos can be viewed online via a new Photos page, which provides large thumbnails of all uploaded photos organised by month -- simply hover the mouse over a photo to view its details, then click to view full size and either download or share using Dropbox’s new link-sharing functionality.

    Version 1.40 also adds support for batch uploading and downloading of files, making it easier to quickly back up and access content stored remotely.

    Dropbox 1.40 is available now as a free download for Windows, Mac and Linux. Also available are Dropbox for Android and Dropbox for iOS, both of which already support batch photo and video uploading. Paid-for plans offering more storage and a multi-user service are also available.

    Photo Credit:  Ersler Dmitry/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'The Downfall of IBM'

    The Downfall of IBM

    Posted: April 27th, 2012, 7:00am MDT by Robert X. Cringley

    First in a series. This is my promised column about IBM -- the first of several on the topic, all to be delivered in a series. The last time I wrote at length about Big Blue was in 2007. I have been asked many times to revisit the subject, something I haven’t wanted to do because it is such a downer. Writing the last time I hoped the situation, once revealed, would improve. But it hasn’t. And so, five years later, I turn to IBM again. The direct impetus for this column is IBM’s internal plan to grow earnings-per-share (EPS) to $20 by 2015. The primary method for accomplishing this feat, according to the plan, will be by reducing US employee head count by 78 percent in that time frame.

    Reducing employees by more than three quarters in three years is a bold and difficult task. What will it leave behind? Who, under this plan, will still be a US IBM employee in 2015? Top management will remain, the sales organization will endure, as will employees working on US government contracts that require workers to be US citizens. Everyone else will be gone. Everyone.

    Now industries and businesses change all the time because they have to or want to. Big companies and small have to adjust to the realities and changing reward structures of their markets and cultures. Or they change to better adapt to new opportunities. But what’s happening at IBM is different than that. It’s different because this incredible American success story, if it continues to follow its current course, will utterly fail. It’s different, too, because neither IBM management nor Wall Street seem to have the slightest notion of the peril facing the company. My deepest fear is they simply don’t care.

    Fixation on Process

    The first question we need to answer is why this is happening? I think much of that answer can be supplied by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. In my film, Steve Jobs -- The Lost Interview, here’s what Jobs had to say about IBM, circa 1995. It applies just as well today.

    If you were a product person at IBM or Xerox, so you make a better copy or a better computer, so what? When you have a monopoly market share the company is not any more successful. So the people that can make the company more successful are sales and marketing people and they end up running the companies and the product people get driven out of decision making forums. And the companies forget what it means to make great products.

    Sort of the product sensibility and the product genius that brought them to that monopolistic position gets rotted out by people running these companies who have no conception of a good product versus a bad product. They have no conception of the craftsmanship that’s required to take a good idea and turn it into a good product and they really have no feeling in their hearts usually about wanting to help the customers.

    This is the first thing to understand about the IBM of today: the company is being run by executives who for the most part don’t understand the products and services they sell. The IBM of today is a sales organization. There is nothing wrong with sales if you can also deliver, but increasingly IBM can’t deliver.

    The reason IBM can’t deliver is also explained well by Jobs. It’s IBM’s maniacal fixation on process, once a strength but now a cancer.

    Companies get confused. When they start getting bigger they want to replicate their initial success. And a lot of them think well somehow there is some magic in the process of how that success was created so they start to try to institutionalize process across the company. And before very long people get very confused that the process is the content. And that’s ultimately the downfall of IBM. IBM has the best process people in the world. They just forgot about the content.

    In this instance content means the deliverable, whether a product or service. IBM smugly thinks it knows so well how to do things that they can export their entire business model to cheaper labor forces in less expensive places to do business. While this is correct to a very limited extent it has been embraced as religion in Armonk.

    Offshore Rising

    IBM seems to believe it is cheaper to replace a skilled worker with two or three unskilled workers to do the same job. That is like hiring nine women to make a baby in one month. While it looks good on paper it is not practical and is not working. The language barrier for IBM’s Indian staff is huge, for example. Troubleshooting, which was once performed on conference calls, is now done with instant messaging because the teams speak so poorly. Problems that an experienced person could fix in a few minutes are taking an army of folks an hour to fix. This is infuriating and alarming to IBM’s customers.

    IBM’s five year plan ending in 2010 was supposed to double EPS from just under $5 to about $11. (Today it is closer to $13.) During the last five years there was an accelerated push of jobs offshore for cost reasons, high attrition rates, and longer product release cycles. The next five year plan for 2015 is to again double EPS to about $20. Can this be done? Probably, but the particular way they are going about it is also likely to destroy IBM.

    IBM’s biggest money maker is its Global Services business, which also employs the most people. Ten years ago Global Services was an even larger part of IBM but the company is now making a lot less on its contracts, and the turnover of business is brisk. It is in Global Services where you see the most jobs being shipped offshore. But the problem is the offshore teams often lack the skill and experience to do the work, problems mount, customers like (most recently) The Walt Disney Company get upset and leave.

    I’ll be providing more details in subsequent posts, but I want to end here with a point about how patently unfair and simply stupid this is. When I wrote about IBM five years ago the cost reduction program was called LEAN and it was supposed to mold from Big Blue a hyper-efficient business machine. Yet today IBM has more layers of management than it had in 2007. These extra layers come at a cost both in dollars and in accountability. Those extra layers insulate IBM’s top management from responsibility for their decisions. At the highest levels in Armonk they think things are going beautifully because they are out of touch with the reality of their own company.

    Today at IBM the US workers who try to save the business are the first in line to lose their jobs. Management accountability is gone. The people who mess up get to keep their jobs; and those trying to retain the business lose their jobs.

    How fair is that?

    Reprinted with permission.

    Photo Credits: Tomasz Bidermann/Shutterstock (top); wendelit teodoro/360Fashion (Cringley -- below)

    Robert X. Cringely has worked in and around the PC business for more than 30 years. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, Forbes, Upside, Success, Worth, and many other magazines and newspapers. Most recently, Cringely was the host and writer of the Maryland Public Television documentary "The Tranformation Age: Surviving a Technology Revolution with Robert X. Cringely".

  • Permalink for ''Kids are growing up Apple''

    'Kids are growing up Apple'

    Posted: April 27th, 2012, 6:00am MDT by Ed Oswald

    If you don't own an Apple product, look again. One out of three American households does, and it could be yours. "Kids are growing up Apple. That brand equity goes very far", Ben Arnold, NPD's director of industry analysis, tells BetaNews. Arnold's comments confirm a story I penned last year on the strength of Apple brand's in the youth market. "We definitely saw that [in our research]".

    Arnold concedes that while younger consumers drive much of Apple's newfound retail success, their loyalties are fickle. "In five or 10 years someone else could come along". But he pointed to his and other research showing that Apple's brand gets high marks with the youth market, and that brand loyalty will likely extend to any new products that Apple may decide to sell.

    Then there is Apple brand exposure outside the home. For example, Apple revealed this week that the San Diego school district bought 10,000 iPads during Q1 and will purchase 15,000 more this quarter. With computing products, there's more than brand exposure -- locking younger users into applications and ways of doing things and using the same stuff as their friends.

    "Apple is really good at attracting people into their ecosystem", Arnold argues.

    Dominating the Tablet Sector

    iPad is its own Apple brand driver, poised to disrupt established PC brands. About one out of every four iPad purchasers are new to Apple, and the tablet is starting to displace the iPod as the so-called "halo" device, based on NPD's research.

    Historically the iPod has served as the first Apple device for consumers, but Arnold notes a shift within the last two years. Just 57 percent now say the iPod was their first Apple product, with 21 percent saying it was the iPhone, and 13 percent the iPad. He believes that Apple is setting itself up for long-term success and a perpetual dominant position in that market.

    "iPad sales are growing much faster than any other Apple product has this soon after launch. This demonstrates the appeal of both the new form factor and Apple’s app ecosystem", he tells BetaNews. "It is possible that the iPad could be to tablets what Windows was for PCs".

    The analogy is not perfect of course. Microsoft merely produced the software and not the hardware, whereas Apple controls both the hardware and software with the iPad. That said, Microsoft made moves to cement its dominance in the PC sector and Apple is doing the same with tablets. This success could vanish quickly if Apple fails to respond to market pressures.

    "Steve Jobs expressed some resistance to a different screen sizes. Our research shows, however, that a slightly smaller form factor would have some appeal", Arnold says. If Apple does not respond to the desire shown by consumers through the success of smaller tablets akin to the Kindle Fire, it does risk losing the dominant position the company now enjoys, he believes.

    NPD's own research shows that Apple controls nearly a quarter of the mobile PC business as of the last quarter of 2011, chiefly due to the success of the iPad itself. Its closest competitor is HP at 10 percent, who attempted to enter the tablet sector with WebOS and TouchPad last year, but exited just as quickly.

    Apple is Just Fine Without Steve Jobs

    Even with the success of the iPad, Apple has a hard time escaping the shadow of Steve Jobs. Forrester Research CEO George Colony equated Apple with Sony, saying the loss of Jobs will likely set the company into a period of decline, and that Apple's business model requires a "charismatic" leader. My colleague Joe Wilcox just a day before wrote exactly the opposite, arguing new CEO Tim Cook's strengths as a process man position Apple well.

    Arnold seems to agree with Joe's reasoning. "Steve did a great job of setting up this company for the next phase. Apple has built up a base that will carry them through", he argues, saying that Jobs' presence will be felt in the company's products and software for years to come. Simply put, "Apple's products sell themselves".

    Even saying that, Arnold passed on speculating further on Apple post-Jobs, or on Cook's performance as a leader just yet. "All of this stuff is really behind the curtain of secrecy," he mused, noting how little we really know of what goes on inside Apple. "It's the biggest question of us analysts, investors -- how does Apple navigate this next phase".

    Photo Credit: Mads Boedker

  • Permalink for 'Tweet, tweet, Twitter for Android and iOS get big updates'

    Tweet, tweet, Twitter for Android and iOS get big updates

    Posted: April 26th, 2012, 5:01pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Suddenly mobile Twitter makes lots of sense to me, and I wonder what good the desktop or web clients are at all. Versions 3.2 and 4.2, available today for Android and iOS, respectively, improve discovery, search and, more importantly, interaction with others and topics that matter most to you.

    Not that Twitter mobile was bad before, it's just whole lots better now -- and where you need it most. On the go. Most of the goodness is behind the Discover tab, which after being much of a wasteland before is now lively and filled with streaming content relevant to you.

    For example, Twitter better presents the activity of people you follow, including in my stream today the folks they start following. This discovery method feels more like a social network and connects you to new people. That's what friends -- eh, followers -- are for, meeting new people. No surprise, you'll see who's retweeting what -- and also who's adding whom to lists.

    There's more. "Now you can tap any story once to see Tweets about a particular trend or news article", Sung Hu Kim, Twitter product manager, says. "You can then read the entire story or join the conversation by replying, retweeting or favoriting related Tweets".

    Search gets a decidedly modern makeover, with useful autocomplete and suggestions. I've gotten addicted to Google+ member autocomplete, a capability now available for Twitter in the Connect tab.

    But it's better on iOS than Android. "We’ve also made a few improvements specifically for iPhone: when you tap the search box in Discover, you’ll see your most recent queries", Kim explains. "You can also go directly to someone’s profile when searching for a username in Connect".

    Finally, and you'll love or hate it, push notifications now include Interactions. Yeah, don't you want to know when Jack Smugface disses you, so you can respond now rather than hours later? But some users may want to tone down this one's settings, particularly if people frequently retweet or favorite your 140-character musings. Hey, battery life is precious and too many notifications suck it up.

  • Permalink for 'Sony serves some Ice Cream Sandwich to Tablet S'

    Sony serves some Ice Cream Sandwich to Tablet S

    Posted: April 26th, 2012, 3:31pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    If you own Sony's Android tablet, the wait is over. Android 4.0 is available, starting today. The company says that users will be prompted to update the next time they connect to WiFi.

    Sony's tablet packs one of the most customized versions of Android, from look and feel down to a plethora of apps, the majority focused on entertainment. Users can expect plenty of spit-and-polish tweaks and enhancements throughout its ICS iteration.

    "There are a lot of cool new things you can do now with the firmware upgrade -- hellooo, single-motion panorama photo mode and direct access to your SD card", [Maya Wasserman explains] on the Sony blog. Other enhancements include the ability to unlock direct to camera, "small apps for multitasking", and easy switching browser from mobile to desktop mode.

    Sony launched Tablet S in August, initially $499 for the 16GB model or $599 for its 32GB companion. The electronics giant temporarily discounted during the holidays, then made them permanent in January with $100 cuts. As Mother's Day approaches, another discount comes: $50 instant rebate plus free docking cradle.

    Sony S comes with 9.4-inch display with 1200 x 800 resolution, Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1GB RAM and as, previously mentioned, 16GB or 32GB storage, which is expandable with SD card.

  • Permalink for 'Amazon fixed one of the most broken things about Kindle Fire, now it needs to fix the rest'

    Amazon fixed one of the most broken things about Kindle Fire, now it needs to fix the rest

    Posted: April 26th, 2012, 1:15pm MDT by Tim Conneally


    For a platform that was built to handle text documents, Amazon Kindle's support for non Kindle-formatted files has been nothing short of atrocious.

    Wirelessly sending documents to a Kindle required that they be emailed to a Kindle email address where they'd be converted and sent to the user's Kindle library; or they could be uploaded directly to Kindle e-readers or tablets via USB, but with spotty usability.

    In the case of PDF files, this often meant lost pagination, no text search, and no interactivity (read: highlighting.) It was a generally unpleasant experience to get outside content into the Kindle library, and then consuming it was another unpleasant experience.

    Yesterday, Amazon took a major stride in remedying this messy situation, and released the "Send to Kindle" application for Windows/Mac. This desktop application dramatically streamlines the process of uploading new content onto Kindle devices.

    On Windows machines, you can simply right-click on a document (word, text, rtf, image, pdf, and others) and click "Send to Kindle," on Mac machines, you can drag the file you want to send to the "Send to Kindle" icon in the dock. On all systems, a menu then pops up to let you select which registered Kindle device to send the document to, including mobile applications for phones and tablets. They can be sent to any combination of your devices, all of them, none of them, whatever.

    I am an Android user. Not a die-hard, not a fanatic who walks around in a little green bugdroid beanie, but someone who uses Android because it is customizable and versatile.

    I am also one of those people who does not believe there is a "winner" among Android tablets; a device that can be everything to everybody like the iPad manages to be.

    That being said, the Kindle Fire is now the closest Android Tablet of any to reaching that ideal. Amazon just needs to fix a few things.

    Kindle Fire's branch of Android is based entirely around Amazon's retail ecosystem and giving customers various ways to interact with their purchased content, or to purchase more content. It's good, but it fails in two respects.

    Compatibility

    The Kindle Fire allows applications available from third-party sources to be installed, but with the new Send to Kindle application, we see how hostile Amazon remains toward content from outside of its ecosystem.

    Users can send the following formats to their Kindle: .DOCX, .DOC, .TXT, .RTF,
    .JPEG, .JPG, .GIF (not animated), .PNG, .BMP, and .PDF. For books, I've found that the application actually does support the transfer of .mobi e-books, but it does not accept the extremely common .epub (archived HTML/XHTML), or protected .pdf e-book formats. Audio and Movie files are bounced right out of the application.

    For as easy as Amazon has made file transfer, it still has not made compatibility any broader.

    Interface

    The Kindle Fire UI, generally speaking, is horrid.

    I'm talking about the "carousel" view of recent processes which dominates the home screen. It is constantly changing based upon whatever apps or content you most recently interacted with, and when your device is full of various documents without a cover image, your homescreen becomes a big Rolodex of white cards.

    Whenever you add a new book or application, it slides into the first position in the carousel and is the first thing you then see on the homescreen, irrespective of where you actually want it to go.

    The constant aspect of the homescreen UI is the top navigation bar, which contains buttons for Newsstand (Kindle periodicals), Books (Kindle e-books), Music (Amazon mp3), Video (Video on Demand/Prime), Docs, Apps, and Web (Silk Web browser).

    Until yesterday, when Amazon released Send to Kindle, the "Docs" tab on my Kindle Fire had never been used because the method for populating it was so unwieldy. I have had several directories of e-books and magazines that I had gotten through various non-Amazon channels that didn't make it to my Kindle Fire for this very reason.

    Now that the document sharing aspect has been simplified, the docs directory is full, but only of the things that Amazon supports.

    If document compatibility is improved, and the UI is fixed, there is no reason why the Kindle Fire couldn't be the banner iPad competitor.

  • Permalink for 'There is no Apple without Steve Jobs'

    There is no Apple without Steve Jobs

    Posted: April 26th, 2012, 11:50am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    That's essentially George Colony's contention. "Apple will decline in the post-Steve Jobs era", the Forrester Research analyst opines. The sentiment is stunning in context of Apple's first two quarterly results following Tim Cook's ascension to chief executive. The company generated more revenue ($85.83 billion) than all fiscal 2010 ($65.23 billion). Net income ($24.12 billion) exceeds that of fiscal 2009 and 2010 combined ($22.25 billion). That's hella good performance.

    Yesterday, I argued that "Apple is better off without Steve Jobs", in part based on recent performance that derives from Cook's running logistics for the better part of three years. But I also believe that no one knows the future, and that good reporting is about looking from different viewpoints. So today I offer counterpoint to yesterday's prognostication. Yeah, I'll rebut myself, something I frequently do. You just don't see the process, and Colony's argument is good foundation.

    Disruptive Risks

    The question to start with: What is Apple? For many long-time Mac fans, Jobs is Apple. The two can't be separated. But for the hundreds of millions of people buying iPads, iPhones and iPods over the last decade, Apple is something else. According to a new report released today by NPD, one in three Americans owns an Apple product. The majority of newbies own iPhone or iPad, but increasingly the tablet.

    Referring to iPad, NPD analyst Ben Arnold says that "one-in-five Apple owner households has one -- nearly equivalent to the number that own an Apple computer". These aren't Steve Jobs' people -- the so-called Mac faithful that worshipped him and his sense of style. Most of them probably didn't know who Jobs was until his tragic, well-publicized death.

    But Jobs' influence over these Apple product owners is undeniable. His leadership led these products to market and define a style that Cook so far fails to exhibit: Disruptive risk-taking. Last year I wrote about decade-past Apple launches that are foundational. Three were huge risks, and Apple took them at a difficult time -- during a recession: OS X, Apple Store and iPod, in order of 2001 release. But the big pay-off risks came later: iPhone and iPad, particularly, and culminated others.

    Apple launched iPhone on one carrier in 2007, moving into a market where it had no expertise, no experience. Then came iPad, which moved into a market where many other computer and consumer electronics giants had failed. Yet these risks paid big rewards. During fiscal 2012 second quarter, for example, iOS devices generated 76 percent of Apple revenue. iPad and iPhone generated $29.3 billion revenue, or 74.8 percent of revenue. These disruptive risks define Jobs' return as Apple CEO.

    But who will take such risks now? Who will lead disruptive changes like these? Ponder those questions while reading the next section.

    David Thinking

    In December 2009, I posted here at BetaNews something taken from my personal blog months earlier: "Why Apple succeeds, and always will". I wrote:

    Apple doesn't play by the rules. It reinvents them. Apple applies what I call 'David Thinking' to its broader business, product development and marketing. Apple is David to Microsoft Goliath -- and other ones, too. Goliath plays by one set of rules. David choses to change the rules, which favor his strengths rather than those of Goliath.

    David thinking derives from research political scientist Ivan Arreguín-Toft conducted. In 2005 book, How the Weak Win Wars: A Theory of Asymmetric Tactics, he explains how seemingly weaker opponents can prevail against stronger ones by changing the rules of engagement. He produces excellent historical data showing that, in wars, when smaller rivals use such tactic they are more likely to win, even against mightier opponents. The Biblical example of David vs. Goliath is good analogy. Rather than fight like Goliath -- and almost certainly lose by dawning armor and sword -- David relied on his own strengths. A slingshot and stone kept him out of Goliath's reach but still on the offensive. I call this approach David Thinking.

    But Apple has gone through dramatic transformation since I wrote that analysis. Apple is no longer David but Goliath. Apple's size and success makes it the status quo and encourages management decisions that seek to preserve what is rather than take forward-reaching risks. The higher Apple's stock price rises or the more customers it acquires, the less attractive risk-taking looks to management. Today's Apple, under Cook's leadership, is in jeopardy of losing the risk-taking, David Thinking that defined Steve Jobs' leadership. It's answer to the question I started with: What is Apple? A disruptive, risk-taking, rule-changing innovator.

    Charisma vs. Competence

    Apple is not a cult of Mac enthusiasts; they're a minority now. As stated earlier, most people buying the products today have never been influenced by the so-called "reality distortion field" -- the spell of Steve Jobs. Apple's cofounder spent little time on the keynote stage starting in 2008, because of his health.

    Colony sees Apple for what it was, not what it is -- a business led by a charismatic leader:

    In charismatic organizations, the magical leader must be succeeded by another charismatic -- the emotional connection of employees and (in the case of Apple) customers demands it. Apple has chosen a proven and competent executive to succeed Jobs. But his legal/bureaucratic approach will prove to be a mismatch for an organization that feeds off the gift of grace.

    That's not Apple 2012, nor was it before Cook's ascension to CEO about eight months ago. There's a well-known management maxim that charismatic leaders often can't grow companies far enough because they micromanage too much. Many of the most successful startups required the charismatic leader to step back and put someone else in charge. Given Jobs' health situation and Cook largely running day-to-day operations, at least from January 2009, this leadership change effectively occurred at Apple years ago. Jobs continued to provide vision -- and good taste -- while Cook expanded the core business. As I asserted yesterday, Jobs' ego held back Apple. His declining health let Cook make competent decisions about manufacturing and distribution logistics that generated huge sales. Apple can design pretty products, but it means nothing if there is no place for people to buy them.

    Meanwhile, the faithful decreased in numbers, particularly outside the company. That Apple shares soared, rather than collapsing, after Jobs stepped down as chief executive and then tragically died, says much about the myth and the man -- that the charismatic leader and company are one. They aren't.

    Colony and I agree about something that is important to Apple's future: "When Steve Jobs departed, he took three things with him: 1) singular charismatic leadership that bound the company together and elicited extraordinary performance from its people; 2) the ability to take big risks, and 3) an unparalleled ability to envision and design products". I absolutely agree on the second, but question the other two -- how much is myth versus the man. Colony says that "Apple's momentum will carry it for 24-48 months", and without a charismatic replacement will decline like the company did after Jobs left in 1985 or following the departure of Polaroid and Walt Disney founders.

    No Risks, No Gain

    Apple doesn't need charismatic leadership. The company requires someone with vision to think like David, to constantly change the rules of the game and in process take risks in innovation. That was Apple under Steve Jobs.

    What's risky about iPhone 4S or new iPad? Sure, Apple developed these products while Jobs was CEO, but he also was ailing and Cook ran day-to-day operations. Cook has yet to demonstrate David Thinking, not that he's had much time. Still, there's time enough.

    My favorite example of Jobs' disruptive approach is iPod nano, and I watched to see if there might be something similar with third-generation iPad. Apple introduced the diminutive music player in September 2005 to replace the iPod mini, which was the standard copied by competitors. Just as their larger devices arrived for the holidays, Apple transformed the category with the tiny nano.

    Something else: Apple killed off iPod mini at the height of popularity. No one does that! But Apple did. iPod sales dramatically rose with launch of the mini in early 2004 and simply skyrocketed after the nano. iPad's high-resolution display adopts similar philosophy but is nothing near as radical. In more ways, it preserves the status quo rather than defies it. Cook must do better.

    For Apple to remain Apple, disruption and risk should be defining characteristics. If not, then there is no Apple without Steve Jobs. The company has become something else.

  • Permalink for 'Walmart lets online shoppers pay with cash'

    Walmart lets online shoppers pay with cash

    Posted: April 26th, 2012, 10:05am MDT by Ed Oswald

    Cash as a form of payment is rare these days as plastic takes over, and online it is all but nonexistent. Not anymore, though -- Walmart now allows online customers to pay for their orders with the good ol' Greenback.

    Here's how it works: customers place their orders on the website, and select "Cash" as the payment option. They then have 48 hours to take a printed-out copy of the order form and pay at any local Walmart store. Walmart's demographics seem to support such an offering, so it is obvious why the retailer would offer cash as a form of payment.

    The Bentonville, Ark. retail giant notes that only 15 percent of its in-store transactions are paid in true credit, while the rest are paid in cash or cash equivalent. A larger portion of its customer base lives paycheck to paycheck and may not have the means or desire to access a bank account or credit card. In a recent study, Walmart found that nearly two-thirds of "underbanked" customers would use such a feature if it was available.

    "[Pay with cash] makes it easier for our customers to shop the way they want, where they have access to a broader product selection at Walmart.com coupled with the convenience of payment and shipping as they want", Walmart.com president and CEO Joel Anderson says. Anderson believes this is a huge opportunity for the company.

    Low-income customers are likely not the only ones to use such a system either: some consumers prefer to not share payment information over the Internet. A pay with cash system is likely very attractive to these consumers as well.

    Photo Credit: Redstarstudio/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Delete something accidentally? Try Wise Data Recovery'

    Delete something accidentally? Try Wise Data Recovery

    Posted: April 26th, 2012, 7:59am MDT by Mark Wilson

    How many times have you done it? After deciding to spring clean your computer you empty the Recycle Bin only to realize that it contained some files that you meant to copy out. Or you may be browsing through files over the network and delete some files on another machine, bypassing the Recycle Bin altogether. We have all found ourselves needing to restore files that have been deleted in haste, and this is something that Wise Data Recovery can help with.

    The name of the program is about as descriptive as you could hope for, and this is an example of an app that does precisely what you would expect it to. There are no fancy extra features to be found here, but what this free recovery tool does, it does well and makes everything as simple as possible. Scans of hard drives are performed surprisingly quickly and you can tell at a glance what chance you have of restoring the data thought you might have lost.

    Wise Data Recovery enables you to browse through recoverable files in their original folder structure, although you may find that folder names have been obliterated, and uses a traffic light system to let you know the status of any file. Files marked with a green icon are in good condition and should be recoverable without problems while those with a yellow icon are in a poor condition. This may mean that you are able to recover some data from them, but anything that has been assigned a red icon is unrecoverable.

    There is also a search option on hand to help you to track down files that include certain words and you can either work through files restoring them on an individual basis, or you can selected large number to recover at the same time. For a free tool this seems like an impressive program and in tests it was able to successfully recover files that had been deleted some time ago. If you have lost data, this is well worth taking a look at.

    You can find out more and download a free copy of the program by paying a visit to the Wise Data Recovery review page.

    Photo Credit: Dirk Ercken/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Get ready for exciting changes coming to Firefox 13, 14 and 15'

    Get ready for exciting changes coming to Firefox 13, 14 and 15

    Posted: April 26th, 2012, 6:30am MDT by Nick Peers

    Following on from the release of Firefox 12 FINAL, Mozilla has updated its developmental branches to versions 13 (Beta), 14 (Aurora) and 15 (Nightly/UX), respectively. Those looking for major changes in version 12 will may be disappointed, but future builds promise a number of radical new features, including redesigned Home and New Tab pages, plus panel downloads manager and inline preferences screen.

    Get a head’s up on what’s coming and discover which build is best for your personal needs with our essential guide to what’s coming up in the near future for Mozilla’s open-source, cross-platform browser.

    Firefox 12.0 FINAL
    This is the recommended release for most users, being the latest, stable build available. That said, version 12 will not go down in the annals of Mozilla folklore as a notable release, with a minor refresh of the HTML5 controls and the move to silent updates on Windows machines being the only two changes of note. Ordinarily we’d caution against moving rapidly on to the next version, but read on to discover why you may not be able to resist taking the plunge and moving to the beta channel.

    Firefox 13.0b1 Beta

    Last August, Mozilla unveiled a presentation of how it sees the Firefox user interface changing in the months ahead. A few minor tweaks have already landed in Firefox, but version 13 sees two noticeable new features making their first appearance: a new Home page, and a New Tab page.

    Firefox’s new Home page (type about:home into the Address bar) provides users with a customized page that includes shortcuts to bookmarks, downloads, add-ons, history, sync, settings and an option for restoring the previous session. This latter feature is another new addition to Firefox’s feature set, and restores all open tabs from a previous browsing session.

    The home page, which can be pinned permanently as an app tab for easy access, is fully functional already, but will evolve further in time; Mozilla plans to use it as a portal to the upcoming Apps Market, for example.

    Firefox 13 also introduces a redesigned New Tab page that will be familiar to Chrome and Opera users: thumbnail previews of frequently visited sites. On first visit these will appear blank, but as time goes on and you visit said sites, they should start to populate themselves with thumbnail images of the site itself.

    Sites can be permanently removed (click X), pinned to the list and even dragged and dropped into a new order, and those who hate the new feature will find a small button in the top right-hand corner that toggles between this new view and the traditional blank tab page.

    There’s one other major change in version 13: smooth scrolling is now enabled by default, despite the acknowledgement of one bug that may cause issues on certain web pages. Meanwhile, Android users will be pleased to learn that support for Flash is finally being enabled in version 13 of the mobile app, but only if you’re running Android 2.x or 4.x.

    Firefox 14.0a2 Aurora

    Aurora is an “alpha” build of Firefox, which means it’s undergone minimum testing only. As such it’s not suitable for everyday use, which is why Firefox Aurora is installed as a separate build alongside the stable or beta build, allowing you to test its features without affecting your day-to-day browsing. Settings are shared between Firefox Aurora and your other builds, however, so again caution should be exercised before installing it.

    After all the excitement of Firefox 13 Beta, you’d think the Mozilla developers would rein things in for v14, but none of it. The most exciting features planned are currently listed as in definition, design or development, which means there’s no guarantee they’ll appear in Firefox 14. These include a version of Firefox that runs in Windows 8’s new Metro interface, support for desktop apps (which can be installed and used independently of Firefox, even when offline), and the panel-based download manager that’s been a staple of the UX build for a long time.

    One other tweak in development is an extension to the silent updates feature introduced in Firefox 12, and that’s the ability of Firefox to update itself in the background, so the user will never have to worry about manually updating again. This is slated for version 14, but may yet slip to version 15 due to a current slew of issues undergoing fixes.

    The inline autocomplete function remains stubbornly part of Aurora, where it has been since version 12's release. This is designed to anticipate what URL is being typed into the Address Bar, pre-loading the web page in the background before the URL has been entered.

    Other “landed” features are minor, and behind-the-scenes tweaks. These include incremental garbage collection, hang detector and reporter, and cycle collector performance improvements, some of which were slated for Firefox 13 Beta and may yet be implemented in this version.

    As things stand, there’s nothing visible to get excited about in Firefox Aurora, which makes us think it’s probably best to wait until it gets to Beta before seeing if any of the more exciting new features mentioned above are ready for their move to primetime.

    Firefox 15.0a1 Nightly/Firefox 15.0a1 UX

    Firefox’s two Nightly channels give users access to code hot off the press, but while you’re looking at the latest bleeding-edge version of Firefox, you’re also venturing into uncharted waters because much of this new code has had no testing at all. Nightly builds update regularly, so once installed you’ll find your build updating on a much more frequent basis than other unstable releases.

    After the excitement of features being developed in versions 13 and 14, Firefox 15 looks like being a more minor release at this early stage in its development. At the present time only three new improvements are in the pipeline: two performance-related (faster start-up times for Windows users, and tweaks to session restore so it doesn’t slow down the browser restart process) and one that’s being developed by students at Michigan State University.

    This latter feature, “in-content preferences”, will see Firefox’s Options dialogue box removed and the program’s preferences moved into a browser window, similar to how Chrome’s preferences currently work. This is currently accessible in Firefox 15.0a1 UX, the parallel nightly build of Firefox where interface improvements such as the panel-based downloads manager and New Tab pages first made their appearance.

    When selecting Options, you’ll see the old pop-up window is replaced by a new tab with a series of buttons to choose from. Click one to access that section’s settings -- at present this feels a little clunky, but we suspect it’ll evolve into something sleeker in time.

    Windows and Linux 64-bit users may be interested in trying Firefox 15.0a1 Nightly 64-bit and Firefox 15.0a1 UX 64-bit. We’d recommend all but developers and serious, knowledgeable enthusiasts avoid the Nightly builds of Firefox.

    So, to Summarize...

    Which version of Firefox should you try? Stick to the most stable version you feel comfortable with, although the temptation to sneek a peek ahead is actually quite compelling with these latest developmental builds.

    That said, it’s hard not to recommend people check out Firefox 13 Beta -- the new features will make a difference to the way you use your browser going forward, and it’s a shame one or other couldn’t have been made ready to provide version 12 with a little more pizzazz.

    If you do plan to take a look into the future of Firefox, back up if you plan before installing Beta or Aurorabuilds of Firefox. And If you do decide to give the Nightly or UX builds a try, consider using a non-critical machine or virtual setup (try VirtualBox) instead of your main computer, just in case…

  • Permalink for 'VMware source code leak: 'IT equivalent of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill''

    VMware source code leak: 'IT equivalent of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill'

    Posted: April 25th, 2012, 4:21pm MDT by Ed Oswald

    VMware has confirmed that a portion the the source code for its ESX hypervisor was compromised, although the code dates back as early as 2003. That said, a fairly significant portion of the company's customers are still using the platform as VMware works to push them towards its newer hypervisor called ESXi.

    A hypervisor in the simplest terms is a virtual machine management platform on which several virtual machines can run concurrently. The hypervisor controls the sharing of virtualized hardware resources. ESXi has a far smaller attack surface, which limits the available avenues of attack on a installation.

    The code was posted to Pastebin by a LulzSec-related hacker who goes by the handle "Hardcore Charlie" on April 8. The breach was part of a larger effort by the hacker which compromised the servers of the Beijing-based China National Import & Export Corp (CEIEC). The hacker says he was looking for information on the US military's efforts in Afghanistan.

    Adding insult to injury, VMware says it is aware that additional code disclosures may occur, but attempted to downplay any damage. "VMware proactively shares its source code and interfaces with other industry participants to enable the broad virtualization ecosystem today", the company's Security Response Center director Iain Mulholland says.

    Given the sometimes glacial pace the enterprise moves when it comes to updating software, this week's confirmation of the breach should provide some impetus to those still using the ESX hypervisor. While this particular code may check out and be free from holes, there's no assurance future code disclosures will be equally bug-free.

    Mulhollland says the company is conducting both an internal and external investigation of the breach, and will share further details as they become available.

    Paul Roberts, blogger with Kaspersky Lab's ThreatPost, calls the breach the "IT equivalent of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster", pointing to the fact that VMware itself cannot rule out that its own source code repository may have been hacked.

    Roberts is not referring only to the VMware code, but a chunk of other sensitive data that has "bubbled up" from the CEIEC breach, including sensitive information on US military operations in Afghanistan, and a host of internal communications from Chinese companies through an associated breach of Chinese e-mail hosting company Sina.com.

    Photo Credit: US Coast Guard

  • Permalink for 'Would you pay Google $399 for unlocked, HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus?'

    Would you pay Google $399 for unlocked, HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus?

    Posted: April 25th, 2012, 1:36pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Google has surreptitiously answered whether AT&T or T-Mobile would carry Galaxy Nexus, which is available from Sprint and Verizon here in the United States: No. Otherwise, why would Google sell the smartphone direct, which it started doing yesterday. It's a helluva price, too -- $399, unlocked, with no contractual commitment.

    This is the HSPA+ model released internationally in November 2011. That means no LTE and only 16GB storage, rather than 32GB -- and it's not expandable. The phone sold for $729 or more from Amazon and handset resellers just a few months ago. Amazon lists the 16GB model for $438 today. But, hey, $399 is better. But is it low enough for you? You can get 64GB iPhone 4S from AT&T for same price -- granted locked, with 2-year contractual commitment. Both handsets are HSPA+, though, and AppleCare+, which offers cheap replacement for broken phones, is an extra $99. So I ask: Would you -- or will you -- buy Galaxy Nexus direct from Google?

    "First available in the US, Galaxy Nexus costs $399 and arrives at your door unlocked, without a carrier commitment or contract", Android chief Andy Rubin says. "You can use it on the GSM network of your choice, including T-Mobile and AT&T. It also comes pre-installed with the Google Wallet app which lets you easily make purchases and redeem offers with a tap of your phone. Best of all, we'll give you a $10 credit to get you started with your new mobile wallet".

    Galaxy Nexus is available from Google Play's new "devices" section. I purchased two Nexus One smartphones direct from Google in 2010. Process was simple and delivery fast. I expect similar customer service here.

    Google's timing is strange, though. Samsung plans to debut Galaxy S II's successor during a London event next week. Galaxy Nexus may soon lose its crown as hottest Android handset, although "pure Google" -- meaning newest Android and no sneaky skins -- remains an important differentiator.

    Google had the right idea when selling Nexus One direct starting in January 2010. Many bloggers, journalists and pundits got it wrong, presuming Google wanted to circumvent carriers. As I said then, Google rightly wanted to establish a reference design for Android smartphones and provide developers and enthusiasts with the most current OS version. Galaxy Nexus is similar, but more.

    This time, Google is trying to get around carriers as well. Some partners have corrupted pure Google -- Verizon among them -- by disabling or muting some Galaxy Nexus/Ice Cream Sandwich features while holding back updates. Then there is the distribution problem, with AT&T and T-Mobile being glaring examples.

    Neither carrier offered predecessor Nexus S, either. Best Buy sold the phones for Google, unlocked with or without carrier commitment -- but $529 no contract. By that measure, the considerably better Galaxy Nexus is a bargain at $399. Still, it's pricey compared to what Americans are used to paying with contractual commitment.

    So what do you get? Galaxy Nexus sports 4.65-inch multitouch display with 1280 x 720 resolution (100,000:1 contrast ratio); 1.2GHz dual-core processor; 1GB RAM; 16GB storage; GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G (850, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz), HSPA+ 21; 5MP rear-facing and 1.3MP front-facing cameras; LED flash; zero shutter-lag; 1080p video recording; accelerometer; ambient-light sensor; barometer; gyroscope; GPS; proximity sensor; digital compass; Near-Field Communication (NFC); Bluetooth; WiFi; Android 4. Measurements: 135.5 x 67.94 x 8.94 mm, 135 grams. The battery is 1750 mAh, which is less than the 1850 mAh available with Sprint and Verizon models.

    I reviewed the Verizon Galaxy Nexus in December. I highly recommend the carrier's model, which gets big boost from LTE. I presume the HSPA+ model experience is comparable, but would want to test one, considering how much better I find cellular and data service from Verizon than AT&T.

    So back to where we started: Would you buy unlocked, HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus from Google for $399. Comments await your response.

  • Permalink for 'Facebook opens Anti-virus download shop to broaden security resources'

    Facebook opens Anti-virus download shop to broaden security resources

    Posted: April 25th, 2012, 11:21am MDT by Tim Conneally


    Popular social network Facebook has partnered with security vendors Symantec, McAfee, Microsoft, Sophos, and Trend Micro in a program to simultaneously improve Facebook's security and broaden the availability of the antivirus software from each of the partners.

    Since 2008, Facebook has kept a URL blacklist, and any time a Facebook user posts a link to one of the blacklisted URL, Facebook pops up an interstitial warning page before the browser actually connects off to the suspicious destination. Facebook's parters in this effort included McAfee, Google, Web of Trust, and Websense.

    With the partnerships announced today, Facebook's URL blacklist system will include the malicious URL databases of all of the security vendors.

    "This means that whenever you click a link on our site, you benefit not just from Facebook’s existing protections, but the ongoing vigilance of the world’s leading corporations involved in computer security. At the moment, less than 4% of content shared is spam (compared to nearly 90% of email) and we are looking forward to making even more progress in the future," a blog post from the Facebook Security Team said on Wednesday.

    And what do the security companies get out of this? Prime exposure to Facebook's 900 million users, of course!

    On Wednesday, Facebook launched its own Antivirus Marketplace, where users can download the various antivirus software packages from Microsoft, McAfee, Trend Micro, Sophos and Symantec under six-month free licenses. These companies will also be able to use the Facebook Security Blog to post their bulletins and information for its more than six million followers.

  • Permalink for 'Apple's WWDC starts June 11, Mountain Lion and iOS 6 expected'

    Apple's WWDC starts June 11, Mountain Lion and iOS 6 expected

    Posted: April 25th, 2012, 10:55am MDT by Ed Oswald

    Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference will take place June 11-15 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, but forget about going. That's because tickets sold out in only two hours, the fastest in the conference's history. In 2010, this took 10 days to occur, and in 2011 eight hours.

    Like last year, 2012's event is expected to focus on software. Mountain Lion should be released during the event, which brings more iOS-like features to the desktop. Conversely, iOS 6 is also expected to debut at WWDC, although we seem to know a lot less there.

    The proof of what's to come at this year's event comes from the statements of marketing chief Philip Schiller. "We have a great WWDC planned this year and can’t wait to share the latest news about iOS and OS X Mountain Lion with developers", he says in a statement.

    Apparently neither could the developers, if the fast sellout was any indication -- even though WWDC costs $1,600 per ticket, and the announcement was made during the middle of the night Silicon Valley time. Have no fear though: Apple says it will post videos of the more than 100 educational sessions in the developer section of its website.

  • Permalink for 'Norton Identity Safe secures Android, iOS, OS X and Windows passwords'

    Norton Identity Safe secures Android, iOS, OS X and Windows passwords

    Posted: April 25th, 2012, 10:44am MDT by Mark Wilson

    You’ve no doubt noticed that a huge number of websites require you to log into an account before you can do anything useful. This could be your banking site, a forum, a social network, or almost anything else imaginable and in all likelihood you have a huge number of passwords to remember. Some people simply use the same password for everything, but this has obvious security implications. Norton Identity Safe is one possible solution that rivals tools such as KeePass and 1Password as it stores all of you log in details in a secure database.

    The app is available for Windows as well as iOS and Android and, providing you make sure you download the software before 1 October 2012, it is completely free of charge. Although there is a regular program installation to run through, the app is really a browser plugin for users of Windows and OS X, and it is compatible with Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera. As all of your password are stored in one place, you will obviously need to create a strong password to keep everything secure, and there is a two-step approach to this.

    Firstly, you need to sign into an existing Norton account, or create a new one if you do not already have one, and you then have to create a separate password for Identity Safe itself. It’s no good trying to cheat here as you are not allowed to use the same password as for your account, and you will be guided through the process of making a suitable strong password – not too short, a mixture of upper and lower case letter, and including numbers and symbols.

    Once this has been done you can start storing your usernames and password, and Identity Safe will then automatically fill in login forms whenever you call on it to do so -- auto-form filling also extends to address, credit card details and the like. Because data is stored in the cloud it can be automatically synchronized between devices so you never have to remember passwords -- however many different machines you use. It’s somewhat disappointing to find that it is not possible to successfully import passwords that have already been saved in your web browser.

    There are also mobile versions of the app available for Android and iOS and while these offer many of the same options as the desktop version, there are a few differences. Firstly, you need to have setup the desktop version in advance so the mobile app can pull in password information from the cloud. The iOS app is really a replacement for the built-in browser and it will enable you to access the passwords you have stored in your account and similar options are available to Android users. It is also possible to check the safety of web sites and any pages that are deemed unsafe will be automatically blocked.

    You can find out more and download a free copy of the software by paying a visit to the review pages -- Norton Identity Safe, Norton Identity Safe for iOS and Norton Identity Safe for Android.

    Photo Credit: bicubic/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'CyberLink debuts Media Suite 10'

    CyberLink debuts Media Suite 10

    Posted: April 25th, 2012, 10:10am MDT by Mike Williams

    Today, CyberLink released Media Suite 10, which combines eleven of the company’s most powerful applications into a hugely comprehensive multimedia bundle.

    PowerDVD 12 is a very capable media player, for instance. Power2Go 8 caters for all your disc burning needs. MediaShow 6 is an excellent media management tool, and PowerDirector 10 is arguably the best consumer video editor available today.

    But that’s just the start. PowerProducer 5.5 provides speedy template-based disc authoring; MediaEspresso 6.5 converts media files to more mobile-friendly formats; other bundled tools include PowerBackup 2.6, PowerDVD Copy 1.5, LabelPrint 2.6 and InstantBurn 5, and the helpful PowerStarter provides a front-end menu which makes it easy to find and access the particular function or feature you need.

    As previously, CyberLink makes Media Suite available in two flavors.

    Media Suite 10 Pro ($99.95) is the budget build. It includes all the applications we’ve listed, and adds many new features since the last release, including YouTube/ Facebook/ Flickr integration; DLNA support; MKV/ FLV import; faster video rendering; and the ability to import and browse 3D and many RAW image formats, amongst others.

    Media Suite 10 Ultra ($129.95), though, can also play back Blu-ray movies. Strong 3D support sees the package able to play Blu-ray 3D movies, 3D videos and photos. It can edit 3D videos, too (there are even new 3D effects), and there are a few other high-end extras on offer (such as support for playing back Dolby True-HD/ DTS-HD).

    Both suites do at first seem very much cheaper than buying the packages individually. As we write, for instance, PowerDirector 10 Deluxe is $69.95, and PowerDVD 12 Standard is $49.95, so buying Media Suite instead looks like it will save you $19.95 on those two apps alone and get you everything else for free.

    However, the math is actually a little more complicated than that, because Media Suite 10 uses special and slightly cut-down versions of its various applications. The Media Suite 10 Ultra, for instance, doesn’t include PowerDirector Ultra, but instead comes with PowerDirector HE3D, which has a simpler workspace and assorted minor omissions (you can’t export to MPEG-2 with Dolby Digital 5.1, for instance).

    If you think you might be interested, then, it’s absolutely essential that you try before you buy. And, fortunately, trial builds of Media Suite 10 Ultra and Pro are available. The only problem: all this functionality makes for monster downloads, each over 1.5GB in size, so patience may be required before you can try the packages out for yourself.

    Photo Credit:  cybrain/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Apple is better off without Steve Jobs'

    Apple is better off without Steve Jobs

    Posted: April 25th, 2012, 10:03am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    For all practical purposes, Tim Cook has run Apple since cofounder, and then CEO, Steve Jobs' January 2009 medical leave. Sure Jobs returned six months later and continued his micromanaging ways, but Cook, as COO, continued responsibility for day-to-day operations. He already had distinguished himself as a logistics genius, at Compaq and for a decade at Apple, before assuming Jobs' daily role -- and becoming CEO in August 2011. Cook's influence on the current state of Apple cannot be understated.

    As I write Apple shares are up, following yesterday's stunning fiscal 2012 second quarter earnings results; net income rose a stunning 94 percent year over year. The stock closed down 2 percent yesterday, but shot up more than 7 percent in after-hours trading. Apple closed at $560.28 yesterday and opened at $615.99 today. But the measure of Cook's success, and why he is the better man to run Apple, is much more than rising share price. It's really about performance.

    Dollars and Sense

    During fiscal first quarter 2012 (synchronous with calendar Q4 2011) Apple generated more revenue ($46.33 billion) than all fiscal 2009 ($42.9 billion). During the first half of fiscal 2012, Apple generated more revenue ($85.83 billion) than all fiscal 2010 ($65.23 billion). If Apple meets or surpasses targets for fiscal third quarter, revenue for the first nine months will top all of fiscal 2011 ($108.25 billion).

    Looked at differently, Apple's net income for the first fiscal half of 2012 ($24.12 billion) exceeds that of fiscal 2009 and 2010 combined ($22.25 billion) and is surprisingly close to all of fiscal 2011 ($25.9 billion). This all happened effectively on Cook's watch and is measure of his influence and performance long before officially becoming Apple CEO last summer.

    Finally, under Cook, Apple delivers performance that meets Jobs' hype and the reality distortion field that long kept interest in the company, its products and stock. Effectively, Apple has traded reality distortion for reality -- and unequivocally Cook deserves more credit than Jobs. It's one thing to design pretty products and something altogether different to sell them. There Cook's manufacturing and distribution genius has proved greater than Apple cofounder's.

    These numbers speak for themselves, as do milestones like: May 2010, Apple market capitalization tops Microsoft, to become world's most valuable tech company; August 2011, Apple's market capitalization passed Exxon to become world's most valuable company.

    The Devices' Story

    Then there are the hard device numbers. Jobs may have had the vision with iPhone, which launched in June 2007, but Cook executed on it, particularly in 2010 and 2011, with launches of iPad and iPad 2 and iPhone 4 and 4S.

    At the end of calendar 2011, Apple had 315 million cumulative iOS device sales. The 55 million iPads sold to then accounted for 17 percent of the total and iPhone, with 175 million sold, 56 percent.

    But 2011 was the break-out year for iOS devices -- 156 million, according to Asymco's calculations. So Apple sold 49.5 percent of all iOS devices in a single year, which indicates considerable accelerated momentum.

    According to company financial filings, for calendar 2011, Apple sold 92.95 million iPhones and 40.45 million iPads -- generating $61 billion and $24.95 billion revenue, respectively. For all calendar 2011, all Apple generated $127.84 billion revenue. The two products accounted for 67 percent of the company's sales for the year (again referring to calendar and not Apple's fiscal year).

    Three months later, end of first calendar quarter 2012 (and Apple's fiscal second) and cumulative iOS device sales are 365 million, as stated during yesterday's earnings call. Apple sold 50 million iOS devices in the quarter, generating $29.8 billion revenue, or 76 percent of the total.

    Measuring the Men

    I proposed this story to my BetaNews colleagues more than a month ago and planned on writing it since mid-February. But I kept holding back and decided to wait until Apple announced fiscal Q2 earnings. That was wise, considering how strongly the first two quarters compare to everything else and demonstrate the wisdom of decisions Cook made years ago, which Jobs obviously supported. Recent results derive from plans in motion long before Cook took the chief executive's chair.

    There's something else, which must be stated but unfortunately will draw fire from the Apple faithful: Jobs' ego hindered Cook's genius. For years before Job's 2009 medical leave, the company made asinine distribution decisions that courted to his need for attention. Apple kept products secret, so that showman Jobs could bask before the attention of "one more thing" unveilings.

    Practically, such approach is manufacturing and distribution lunacy. Rather than have products in channel to sell, Apple had to hold back -- sometimes even production -- leading to delayed distribution and shortages. The strategy also cut into margins, as Apple had to assume heavier costs ramping up production and rapidly shipping to customers.

    Something's different now: I preordered iPhone 4 in 2010 and it shipped FedEx from China. This year, my family preordered the new iPad and it shipped from California, which suggests, as rumored, that Apple prepped the channel -- something that would have been harder under Jobs' leadership.

    Perhaps Apple gross margins reflects some of the sanity returning to manufacturing distribution. In fiscal second quarter, they rose 6 points year over year to 47.4 percent.

    I've been writing about Apple product shortages for more than a decade. What differentiates now and then is reality distortion vs. reality. In the early 2000s, Apple suffered from supply-side problems. More recently, shortages are all about overwhelming demand.

    Cook understands this newer supply problem is all about distribution logistics, that's why he repeatedly turned to the topic during yesterday's earnings call. For example, going on at length about China:

    We have expanded point of sales. On a year-over-year basis Mac is up 70 percent, but still only 1,800 [outlets] for all of greater China. Obviously there is a lot more opportunity there. iPhone we're up over 11,000, which is up 138 percent. But 11,000 is a much smaller than the number we have in the US. Obviously China in the next few years will be a bigger opportunity. iPad is only in 2,500 points of sale. Yes, we've expanded, expanded a lot. However, there is a lot of headroom here in our view.

    During the quarter, Asia-Pacific region passed Europe to become second largest in revenue. If the trend continues China may exceed all of Europe in a couple quarters. During fiscal Q2, China generated $7.9 billion compared to $8.8 billion for Europe. Distribution is the key, something Cook understands. He visited China this month. Would Jobs have?

    Cook has done for Apple, what Jobs couldn't. Make reality distortion a reality. Make Apple the most successful technology company on the planet.

    Vision is one thing. Execution is another.

  • Permalink for 'CCleaner 3.18 supports Chrome 20 and Firefox 12'

    CCleaner 3.18 supports Chrome 20 and Firefox 12

    Posted: April 25th, 2012, 9:30am MDT by Nick Peers

    Piriform Inc has updated its freeware Windows cleaning tool with added support for the latest versions of Firefox and Chrome. CCleaner 3.18 also adds a multi-select tool to the detailed results view, providing users with more control over choosing which items to clean from their computer.

    Version 3.18, which is also available as a standalone portable tool, also adds cleaning tools for a handful of new applications, plus a number of feature and interface improvements, and minor bug fixes. Version 3.18 adds three specific new features: support for the recently released Firefox 12 and Google Chrome 20, currently available as an alpha Dev build.

    It also introduces a new multi-select tool: after scanning the computer and providing a results summary, users can double-click an entry to view its details up close. The multi-select tool comes into play here, allowing the user to [Ctrl]-click any entries they wish, then right-click to access more options, such as excluding those items from being cleaned.

    CCleaner 3.18 also includes a number of improvements, including better support for 64-bit IE add-ons, an improved folder detection algorithm for cleaning items, interface tweaks (including scrolling interface for including and excluding dialogue boxes) and better compatibility with Windows 7’s [Alt] + [Tab] functionality.

    The Driver Wiper tool benefits from a better interface, while version 3.18 adds support for cleaning GIMP 2.8, Corel VideoStudio Pro X5 and MS Security Client, while beefing up its support for OpenOffice 3 and AIMP 3. The update is rounded off with a number of unspecified minor user-interface tweaks and bug fixes.

    CCleaner 3.18 and CCleaner 3.18 Portable are available now as a freeware download for PCs running Windows 2000 or later. A separate OS X build, CCleaner for Mac 1.02, is also available.

    Photo Credit: Goydenko Tatiana/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Microsoft releases Security Essentials 4'

    Microsoft releases Security Essentials 4

    Posted: April 25th, 2012, 9:08am MDT by Mike Williams

    Microsoft has released Security Essentials 4.0, the latest version of its lightweight, straightforward antivirus package.

    The bulk of the changes this time are under the hood. MSE’s “Automatic Remediation” now does a better job of quarantining threats on its own, for instance, no user intervention required. And Microsoft claims scanning performance and malware detection rates have both improved on the previous build.

    The program can now also use the Microsoft Active Protection Service (the new name for SpyNet) to automatically report malware to Microsoft, helping the company to create new definitions and more quickly respond to new outbreaks. (Although, of course, if you’d rather the program didn’t “phone home” at all then you can turn this off entirely.)

    And there’s the obligatory minor interface tweak or two, all of which help make Microsoft Security Essentials 4.0 just a little easier to use.

    In theory, at least, the program should be automatically made available to existing users via Microsoft Update. In which case clicking About Security Essentials (from the Additional Help Options menu) should reveal a Security Essentials and Antimalware Client version of 4.0.1526.0 or greater.

    Some people are reporting this hasn’t worked for them, though, and if you’re one of them -- or you just want to try out the program for the first time -- then Microsoft Security Essentials 4.0 32-bit and 64-bitdownloads are available now.

  • Permalink for 'Apple had an 'incredible quarter in China''

    Apple had an 'incredible quarter in China'

    Posted: April 24th, 2012, 5:13pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Today after the closing bell, Apple announced fiscal 2012 second quarter results, with earnings up a staggering 94 percent year over year. But one region -- and within it a single country -- stood out for performance and closed on the United States as Apple's most important market as measured by sales.

    Apple revenue to Asia-Pacific rose a staggering 114 percent to $10.15 billion. That data excludes Japan, where sales soared 91 percent. By comparison, Americas revenue topped $13.2 billion, up 41 percent year over year. During the quarter, Asia-Pacific pushed past Europe to be Apple's second most important region, as measured by revenue. In that region, China rises above all other countries.

    "It was an incredible quarter in China", says Apple CEO Tim Cook, speaking during today's earnings conference call. "Revenue was a record at $7.9 billion in greater China, which is up over three times year over year and brings the first half revenue for greater China to $12.4 billion. That compares to a full year of last year of $13.3 billion".

    Stated differently, China accounted for 78 percent of Asia-Pacific region revenues fiscal second quarter.

    "Part of this was the pent-up demand for iPhone 4S", he explains. "As you know we launched in mainland China in January. China was not able to get into the Q1 period, so all of that is in Q2".

    Demand was so great for iPhone 4S, Apple postponed the launch to protect store employees and customers. Crowds nearly rioted.

    "We also have very strong demand for iPad 2", Cook says. "We have not shipped in China yet the new iPad, although we are shipping in Hong Kong".

    Apple's iPad and iPhone sales success has other benefits. "It's a combination of these things and the halo that both of these products has produced for the Mac is also incredible", Cook explains. "Mac was up over 60 percent year over year, and that compares to a market rate of growth of about 6 percent".

    What China lacks, particularly compared to North America, is distribution. "We have expanded point of sales", Cook says. "On a year-over-year basis Mac is up 70 percent, but still only 1,800 [outlets] for all of greater China. Obviously there is a lot more opportunity there. iPhone we're up over 11,000, which is up 138 percent. But 11,000 is a much smaller than the number we have in the US. Obviously China in the next few years will be a bigger opportunity. iPad is only in 2,500 points of sale. Yes, we've expanded, expanded a lot. However, there is a lot of headroom here in our view".

    China's broader importance to Apple cannot be understated, particularly in a country where many Internet users will first use smartphone, or even tablet, as first connected device -- rather than a PC. It's a market all cloud-connected device makers covet.

    "It is mindbggling that we could do this well", Cook exclaims.

    Photo Credit: Elizabeth Phung

  • Permalink for 'Apple Q2 2012 by the numbers: $39.2B revenue, net profit up 94%'

    Apple Q2 2012 by the numbers: $39.2B revenue, net profit up 94%

    Posted: April 24th, 2012, 2:45pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Apple investors expressed their nervousness this week, following earnings reports from AT&T and Verizon. Carrier iPhones sales sagged from calendar fourth quarter -- and why should they not, considering the holidays and iPhone 4S launch. So the question for Apple today: How many iPhones sold during fiscal second quarter, and iPads, for that matter.

    Apple shipped 5.2 million Macs, 11.8 million iPads and 35.1 million iPhones during the quarter. Analyst consensus was around 4 million, 11 million and 33.5 million, respectively. Number of iOS devices sold to date: 365 million.

    For fiscal Q2, Apple reported $39.2 billion revenue and net profits of $11.06 billion, or $12.30 a share. A year earlier, the company reported revenue of $24.67 billion and $5.99 billion net quarterly profit, or $6.40 per share. Net profit rose by 94 percent.

    Three months ago, Apple forecast $32.5 billion in revenue for fiscal 2012 second quarter, with earnings per share of $8.50. Analyst average estimates were higher than Apple guidance: $36.81 billion revenue and $10.06 earnings per share.

    Gross margins rose a stunning 6 points year over year to 47.4 percent. International sales accounted for 64 percent of revenues.

    Looking ahead to fiscal third quarter, Apple projects $34 billion revenue and $8.68 earnings per share.

    Apple ended the quarter with $110.2 billion in cash, up from 97.6 billion three months earlier.

    After closing down 2 percent today, Apple shares jumped more than 7 percent in after-hours trading.

    Q2 2012 Revenue by Product

    • Desktops: $1.56 billion, up 8 percent from $1.44 billion a year earlier.
    • Portables: $3.5 billion, down 7 percent from $3.7 billion a year earlier.
    • iPod: $1.2 billion, down 25 percent from $1.6 billion a year earlier.
    • Music: $2.51 billion, up 32 percent from $1.6 billion a year earlier.
    • iPhone: $22.7 billion, up 85 percent from $12.3 billion a year earlier.
    • iPad: $6.6 billion, up 132 percent from $2.84 billion a year earlier.
    • Peripherals: $643 million, up 11 percent from $580 million a year earlier.
    • Software & Services: $832 million, up 12 percent from $743 million a year earlier.

    iPhone. Apple shipped 35.1 million iPhones worldwide during fiscal second quarter, up from 18.65 million iPhones a year earlier. That's an 88 percent increase, year over year. Wall Street analyst average estimate was about 33.5 million units. Apple counts shipments into the channel, typically making them several million units higher than numbers released by Gartner, which measures actual sales.

    During the quarter, iPhone 4S was available in 100 countries from 230 carriers. Apple ended the quarter with 8.6 million units in the channel, up 2.4 million sequently for 4 to 6 weeks of inventory.

    Recent analyst data bodes well for iPhone. Earlier this month, Nielsen reported a huge surge in the number of new purchasers choosing iPhones compared to Android. For the three months ending in February, 48 percent of Americans who recently bought a smartphone, chose Android -- 43 percent iPhone, according to Nielsen. A year earlier, 27 percent of new acquirers chose Android versus 10 percent for iPhone.

    comScore reports share for overall market, not new purchasers. During the three months ending in February, Android share was 50.1 percent among smartphone subscribers 13 and older -- that's up 3.2 points. iOS: 30.2 percent, up 5 points year over year and 1.5 points three months earlier. Those numbers are fairly consistent with Nielsen's: 48 percent for Android and 32 percent for iOS.

    But Verizon caused some market panic following news it activated 3.2 million iPhones during first calendar quarter, a 1-millon sequential decrease. I don't see a problem in that but something else: Quarter on quarter, iPhone dropped from 58 percent to about half of Verizon smartphone sales, based on activations. Android is gaining, no doubt propelled by 4G LTE.

    Q2 2012 Unit Shipments by Product

    • Desktops: 1.2 million units, up 19 percent from 1 million units a year earlier.
    • Portables: 2.82 million units, up 2 percent from 2.75 million units a year earlier.
    • iPod: 7.7 million units, down 15 percent from 9.02 million units a year earlier.
    • iPhone: 35.1 million units, up 88 percent from 18.65 million units a year earlier.
    • iPad: 11.8 million units, up 151 percent from 4.7 million units a year earlier.

    iPad. Apple shipped 11.8 million iPads globally during the quarter -- that's up from 4.7 million -- a 151 percent -- a year earlier.

    Apple ended the quarter with 2 million iPads in the channel, that's down 300,000 units sequentially, for 4 to 6 weeks in inventory. About a month ago, my daughter said that San Diego School District would buy iPads for 2012-13. Today, during Apple's earnings conference call, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer says that the school district bought 10,000 iPads during fiscal Q2 and will get another 15,000 this quarter.

    "The new iPad is on fire", Oppenheimer says, adding that Apple is selling as fast as it can make them. Supplies are constrained globally. New iPad is available in 40 countries.

    Analysts repeatedly asked about the impact of $399 iPad 2 on overall sales. Apple CEO Tim Cook says that lower pricing definitely appeals to educational buyers and in some geographic markets. However, Apple isn't yet certain about the final sales mix between iPad 2 and new iPad.

    iPad continues to dominate the tablet market, and it's an increasingly important category. In a report issued yesterday, Forrester Research analyst Frank Gillett proclaims: "Tablets will rule the future personal computing landscape". He predicts the global install base of tablets will be 760 million by 2016, with 375 million sold just in that year -- one third of them to businesses.

    He predicts that "tablets will become our primary computing device".

    Q2 2012 Revenue by Geography

    • Americas: $13.2 billion, up 41 percent from $9.32 billion a year earlier.
    • Europe: $8.81 billion, up 46 percent from $6.03 billion a year earlier.
    • Japan: $2.65 billion, up 91 percent from $1.38 billion a year earlier.
    • Asia Pacific: $10.15 billion, up 114 percent from $4.74 billion a year earlier.
    • Retail: $4.4 billion, up 38 percent from $3.2 billion a year earlier.

    Computers. Mac shipments rose significantly during fiscal second quarter. Apple sold -- what company executives really mean by shipped -- 4 million Macs during the quarter, up from 3.54 million units during fiscal Q2 2011; growth was 7 percent year over year. Wall Street consensus was about 4.5 million units worldwide.

    Apple PC growth easily beats the market at large. Two weeks ago, Gartner and IDC reported dismal global shipments. IDC put year-over-year growth at 2.3 percent, but only 1.9 percent by Gartner's estimates. The hard drive shortage had nominal impact compared to fourth calendar quarter.

    The Mac is big windfall benefactor of the PC shipment/sales crisis, because:

    • Apple's brand is sizzling hot right now.
    • Most people use Windows, which is old to them if upgrading, while the Mac is fresh.
    • iPad cannibalizes Windows PC sales, as businesses and consumers buy the tablet as upgrade companion or even replacement.
    • Apple is more insulated from the hard drive shortage, in part because of how it sources components compared to most other computer makers.

    "The consumer segment continued to be a drag on market growth, as PC demand was low", Mikako Kitagawa, Gartner principal analyst, says. "Questions remain on whether low-end systems can attract consumers, as their attention has moved to other devices". Reiterating previous observations, Gartner again highlighted smartphones and tablets as leaders among those "other devices".

    But those consumer sales problems are specific to the larger industry, and not Apple. In the United States, Apple ranks third. IDC puts market share at 10 percent and Gartner at 10.6 percent.

    Q2 2012 Unit Shipments by Geography

    • Americas: 1.21 million units, flat from 1.21 million units a year earlier.
    • Europe: 1.05 million units, up 5 percent from 995,000 units a year earlier.
    • Japan: 158,000 units, up 2 percent from 155,000 units a year earlier.
    • Asia Pacific: 771,000 units, up 29 percent from 596,000 units a year earlier.
    • Retail: 826,000 units, up 4 percent from 797,000 units a year earlier.

    iPod. Apple shipped 7.7 million iPods during fiscal first quarter, down from 9.02 million a year earlier -- a 15 percent decline. iPod touch accounted for more than half of units sold. Apple ended the quarter with 4 to 6 weeks of inventory.

    iTunes revenue: $1.9 billion, up 35 percent year over year.

    Retail. Revenue was $4.4 billion up 38 percent year over year. Apple retail stores sold 826,000 Macs during the quarter. Apple opened two new stores for 363 worldwide. With average 361 stores open for the quarter, they generated $12.2 million each.

    Photo Credit: Francesco Dazzi/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Google Drive: perfect for a 'Nexus Tablet' that takes on Kindle Fire'

    Google Drive: perfect for a 'Nexus Tablet' that takes on Kindle Fire

    Posted: April 24th, 2012, 2:21pm MDT by Tim Conneally


    Google on Tuesday finally rolled out the long-rumored Google Drive cloud storage platform to compete with the likes of Dropbox, Skydrive, Box, iCloud, and all the rest.

    But let's put cloud storage competition aside for a moment. When Google Drive was announced, I was immediately reminded of a recent quote in the New York Times:

    "We took out $150 in build materials, things like expensive memory..."

    That statement came from Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang in an interview he gave the New York Times at the end of March. In the interview, the executive discussed upcoming Tegra-powered Android tablets and the possible Tegra-powered Chromebook.

    Scott Johnston, the product manager for Google Drive has already said "deep integration" with Chrome OS is coming soon for Google Drive, so naturally, one begins to wonder about the fabled "Nexus Tablet."

    The rumor is that Google will soon be launching its own low cost branded tablet to compete with the highly successful, but highly walled-off-from-Google's-services Kindle Fire.

    The Kindle Fire comes with 8GB of internal storage, which is supported by 5GB of free Amazon cloud storage where users can store their books, movies, music, or apps. For an additional $20 per year, users get 20 GB of storage space plus an unlimited amount of space for mp3 files.

    If storage is the type of "memory" Nvidia is skimping on, integration with Google Drive could certainly provide a nice boost.

    Adding fuel to the tablet speculation, Google opened a new version of its Web-based store for selling Android hardware on Tuesday. This was the retail birthplace of the entire Nexus line of Android products that began in the first month of 2010, and was shut down five months later. Now, the shop has re-opened in Google Play with just a single device: the unlocked Galaxy Nexus, and a heading marked "Devices."

  • Permalink for 'Google Drive arrives -- and what a shock, it's really an upgrade for Docs'

    Google Drive arrives -- and what a shock, it's really an upgrade for Docs

    Posted: April 24th, 2012, 12:42pm MDT by Mark Wilson

    One of the most eagerly anticipated online storage services -- and one of the worst kept secrets in computing -- has finally seen the light of day. Google Drive has, at long last, been unveiled after years of rumors and speculation, working in much the same way as the likes of Dropbox and providing users with 5GB of cloud storage free of charge.

    In many ways, the release of Google Drive can be seen as more of an update to Google Docs, and this is clear for Android users who will find that their Google Docs app will update and become Google Drive.

    In terms of online use, working with Google Drive is virtually indistinguishable from Google Docs and any files you have already created in Docs will have been transferred across ready for you to use. All of the usual search and sorting options are available, and there are also a few cool extras such as OCR that can be used to convert your PDF files and images into a format that can be searched.

    As you would expect, there are a couple of desktop app available, one for Mac and one for Windows, and there is also an Android app for free download in Google Play. There will be an iOS version of the app released at some point in the future, but there may be a delay in it hitting the App Store as it makes its way through Apple’s vetting process. The desktop app is a simple affair that enables you to synchronize your online files with your Mac or PC, while the mobile app enables you to access any of the files you have stored or synched online.

    5GB is a reasonable amount of storage space to get started with, but if you feel like it’s not going to be enough, there are a number of upgrades for you to choose from. You can get 25GB for $2.49 a month, 100GB for $4.99 a month, or even 1TB for $49.99 a month, and these are prices that compare very well with the competition.

    You can find out more and download a free copy of the app by paying a visit to the review pages – Google Drive for Mac and PC and Google Drive for Android.

  • Permalink for 'Windows Server 2012 release candidate coming in June'

    Windows Server 2012 release candidate coming in June

    Posted: April 24th, 2012, 12:34pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    This just in from Microsoft: Windows 8 release candidate won't be the only one coming your way in less than six weeks. Expect Windows Server 2012, too. "The Windows 8 Release Preview will be publicly available in the first week of June 2012", Microsoft's Jeffrey Snover says. "We plan to deliver a release candidate of Windows Server 2012 in the same timeframe".

    Windows & Windows Live President Steven Sinofsky revealed the June RC for the desktop operating system earlier today in Tokyo. Concurrent Windows Server 2012 release candidate isn't surprising given the operating systems share common code and development has tracked closely all along.

    Last week, Microsoft formally named Windows Server 2012, which is a cornerstone of the company's public and private -- really, hybrid -- cloud strategy. Both products are tracking for October launch, although urgency is less with Windows Server 2012. Microsoft's PC partners are counting on Windows 8 to boost holiday device sales. Business sales aren't seasonal.

    Photo Credit: gualtiero boffi/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'You can assemble IKEA's Uppleva HDTV [video]'

    You can assemble IKEA's Uppleva HDTV [video]

    Posted: April 24th, 2012, 11:37am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    My wife and I just about collapsed laughing while watching Conan last night. Episode's highlight: Two videos -- one for IKEA's Uppleva television. Team Coco isn't waiting for the official release and offers set-up instructions now.

    The other segment, featuring a video, may not be SFW. Conan O`Brien accepts viewer responses, via YouTube, about mistakes he makes during the show. Last night, he went to great lengths to get around one. Keep liquids away from your computer before watching this one.

  • Permalink for 'Minor update adds more languages to jAlbum 10.6'

    Minor update adds more languages to jAlbum 10.6

    Posted: April 24th, 2012, 11:18am MDT by Mark Wilson

    Web album creator jAlbum has been updated to version 10.6 with a range of bug fixes and feature enhancements. Mac users can now take advantage of a native file chooser that can be used to add folders and images to an album, but there are also numerous tweaks and updates to the Windows and Linux versions of the app to take a look at.

    One of the great things about jAlbum is that skins can used to create a completely unique look for your online albums, helping to avoid the risk of looking like everyone else's. This minor update includes an updated version of the Turtle skin, but most of the changes are under the hood. Translators have been hard at work providing updated text in Brazilian Portuguese, German, English, Swedish, French, Spanish, Finnish, Slovak, Polish, Slovenian, Romanian and Korean, and language information is now added to published albums.

    Other changes include the ability to sign out of your account and leave your license active and a slightly modified way to activating a software license. While none of the changes and additions are particularly ground-breaking, these are merely polishing tweaks to an established and accomplished app that provides users with a powerful and flexible way to create galleries to show off their digital photographs.

    As you would expect from any program update, there are also a range of bugs fixes including one that prevented certain PNG files from being processed. If you have experienced problems with the code generated by jAlbum, you should hopefully find that these issues have been addressed in the latest release as there have been a number of changes made to fix specific errors.

    You can find out more and download a free trial of the app by paying a visit to the jAlbum 10.6 review page.

    Photo Credit: marekuliasz/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Macs may not get PC viruses, but they sure can spread them'

    Macs may not get PC viruses, but they sure can spread them

    Posted: April 24th, 2012, 10:10am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    What do sexually transmitted diseases and Mac viruses share in common? Surprisingly lots, according to security software developer Sophos. People can spread both without exhibiting symptoms, and the infection rates for "Macs carrying malware and level of Chlamydia infection amongst young people" are about the same.

    Say what? That's the question asked in BetaNews group chat this morning about the seemingly strange correlation. But it makes sense to me. My colleague Tim Conneally gets it, too. He observed (after doing a little research): "One in 4 people with Chlamydia have no symptoms. They're saying it's spreading but not affecting the host". That's exactly Sophos' point. The firm found a shocking number of Macs infected with PC viruses, in a 100,000 sampling. The Macs are immune but can infect Windows PCs.

    Not long ago, Apple tweaked its OS X security page by removing something: "Mac OS X doesn't get PC viruses". That's absolutely true. Most viruses are designed for Windows and, therefore, don't infect Macs. But as the Sophos study shows, Macs sure can carry Windows viruses. Sophos finds that one in five Macs carry Windows malware, which can be spread by email and other means. One in 36 -- that's 2.7 percent -- are infected with Mac malware.

    "Amazingly, some of the malware discovered by Sophos on the 100,000 Mac computers sampled dates back to 2007, and would have been easily detected if the users had run an anti-virus sooner", Graham Cluley, Sophos senior technology consultant, observes.

    Like Windows, "malware can spread onto Macs via USB drives, email attachments, website download, or even a silent drive-by installation where the user doesn't realize their Mac's security has been subverted", Cluley explains. "Some Apple fans might feel relieved that they are seven times more likely to have Windows malware on their Macs than Mac OS X-specific threats, but they shouldn't be".

    The recent Flashback Trojan, which infected 700,000 Macs and may still persistent on 500,000, is good example. That's not some asymptomatic Windows malware but something catchable by OS X.

    "Sadly, cybercriminals view Macs as a soft target, because their owners are less likely to be running anti-virus software", Cluley warns. According to complimentary BetaNews polls, 74 percent of respondents do not have anti-malware installed on their primary Macs, while 92 percent of Windows users do.

    "Bad guys may also believe that Mac users are likely to have a higher level of disposable income than the typical Windows user" Cluley speculates. "So, they might believe the potential for return is much higher". I've often wondered about that and am surprised attacks against Macs aren't greater because of it.

    Linking Mac and Chlamydia infection-rates is brilliant. For one, it's a startling, memorable analogy. For another, the analogy links together pervasive behavior about taking unnecessary risks against viruses -- being unprotected. Finally, there is the youth angle, since the same demographic often seen using Macs also has high rates of STD infection.

    Cluley makes the important point: "Just like malware on your computer, Chlamydia commonly shows no obvious symptoms. But left undetected Chlamydia can cause serious problems, such as infertility". He notes that some countries have created national screening programs to test people under 25, annually, for Chlamydia.

    Maybe there should something like this for Macs. Once a year, Apple, working with security software developers, offers a free check up to scan and rid Macs of malware -- with special emphasis on clearing out the crap spread to Windows users.

    Photo Credit: Vasilchenko Nikita/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Samsung details Android 4.0 upgrade plan for U.S. tablets and phones'

    Samsung details Android 4.0 upgrade plan for U.S. tablets and phones

    Posted: April 24th, 2012, 10:05am MDT by Tim Conneally

    Though the newest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, has been available for a little more than six months, its availability has been extremely limited. Only 2.9% of Android users were running it first week of April, according to the Android Developer Dashboard.

    Samsung on Tuesday released an updated list of the U.S. devices that will receive an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich, bringing its total number of devices with the operating system version up to thirteen.

    AT&T: Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy Note, Captivate Glide, Nexus S, Galaxy Tab 8.9
    Sprint: Nexus S 4G, Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch
    Verizon: Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 7.7
    Wi-Fi Only: Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 10.1

    T-Mobile customers, as of right now, have no ICS upgrades to look forward to. However, Samsung says it is "in close communication with T-Mobile to ensure that eligible devices are upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the coming months," and that it will provide updates as additional details arise.

    Slowly but surely, the most popular smartphone and tablet manufacturers have each published lists of the devices that will receive the Android 4.0 upgrade, so it looks like a big shift to Ice Cream Sandwich will soon be under way.


    HTC published its list at the end of 2011 which included eight devices that would get the upgrade at various times depending upon the regional carrier.

    In February, Motorola published its comprehensive ICS upgrade roadmap, but currently only one device, the Xoom tablet has been upgraded.

    In March, media player and tablet company Archos began rolling out its upgrades, and both Acer and Asus followed suit with their own rollouts.

    Just two weeks ago, Sony published the list of Xperia smartphones that would upgrade to Android 4.0. Now, it's just a matter of time before these upgrades are rolled out to customers.

  • Permalink for 'Suddenly I'm uneasy about Windows 8's release date'

    Suddenly I'm uneasy about Windows 8's release date

    Posted: April 24th, 2012, 8:39am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    While I was sleeping -- and perhaps you, too -- Microsoft announced that one more public Windows 8 test build will come before the code is gold. Right now, Windows 8 Release Preview will be available the first week of June. What? Microsoft no longer calls these things release candidates? Timing is tight, unless Windows & Windows Live president Steven Sinofsky and his team exude absolute confidence they can finalize code in time for autumn launch.

    It's a narrow path from early June release candidate to August release to manufacturing to October launch, unless there are no major changes from the Consumer Preview released in February or last-minute show-stopping bugs. You can read this as sign that Windows 8 is rock-solid ready and that Sinofsky and team are absolutely certain about the operating system's readiness or that they need to stretch out the time as long as possible. The Consumer Preview came at the last possible milestone for Microsoft to ship this year, and the next one follows similar tight track.

    Measuring Windows 7 Milestones

    As I wrote nearly three months ago you can expect Windows 8 in October, or not at all this year. To get there, RTM must come no later than end of August.

    By measure of Windows 7, its successor trails considerably behind development track for October, which is the last month to launch so that new PCs fill the channel before holiday sales begin in earnest. Microsoft released Windows 7 Beta 1 on Jan. 9, 2009. By measure of that milestone in 2012, Windows 8 Consumer Preview came about seven weeks later. Typically, Microsoft would have offered a second Windows 7 beta but went right to release candidate, on April 30, 2009. Windows 8 needs similar accelerated track to be ready for the holidays. Instead, we have late-April announcement about June release candidate.

    Windows 7 RTM: July 22, 2009, about six weeks from release candidate. Early June is even longer between public preview and RC for Windows 8. Windows 7 launched on Oct. 22, 2009 -- or three months after RTM. By that measure, Windows 8 gold code should come in late July to make October release.

    OEMs need time to test new Windows versions, put together software images and ship PCs into the channel. Even in this era of real-time manufacturing, retail remains the primary sales channel. PC manufacturers still need a good six weeks from final Windows code's release to manufacturing to actual launch -- a little longer to get PCs in stores. Ideally, then, Windows 8 must RTM by end of August to make October launch, which is best timeframe assuring the channel is stocked for Black Friday.

    Problem: Windows 8 brings dramatic changes compared to its predecessor, particularly because of the aforementioned user interface changes -- touch-oriented Metro and legacy desktop, which nixes the Start Button and Menu and adds the Office Ribbon throughout. Customers, developers and hardware partners will have to adapt to these changes. The more time the better, and they may not have it.

    Last Chance to RTM

    The good news: Windows 8's development will only trail its predecessor's by about 5 weeks if Microsoft meets the early June milestone. That's a refreshing sign for October release, but bodes ill for customers hoping for major changes, particularly around the Metro UI. Reaction among BetaNews readers is largely negative, for example. It's now unlikely that changes will come, with such a late release candidate. If you don't like Metro, stick with Windows 7 or get used to it.

    I believe that Microsoft can ship Windows 8 in time for the holidays. But the less time the ecosystem has to prepare the less likely truly exciting hardware designs and Metro-supporting applications will be ready for the holidays.

    Still, there's sense to what I hope is going on at Microsoft. In the writing business, there are deadlines. A story is ready when the deadline comes, regardless of what more the editor or writer might want to change. That's good analogy for software development. The Windows ecosystem needs the operating system ready for holiday PCs. Windows 8 is ready enough when the deadline to ship comes -- and that's whatever Microsoft and partners decide when its to be, not predecessor operating systems.

    Something else: Microsoft's announcement timing is brilliant, and I hope by design. Apple announces first calendar quarter earnings today. Today's Windows 8 announcement should silence some of the ridiculous pre-Apple earnings blathering that floods the InterWebs. To Steven Sinofsky, I offer thanks for dulling the Apple noise -- even for just a few hours.

  • Permalink for 'Opera 12 gets opt-in hardware acceleration'

    Opera 12 gets opt-in hardware acceleration

    Posted: April 24th, 2012, 7:22am MDT by Mark Wilson

    It is only a week since Opera 12 added support for cameras, and since then two new builds have been released that push the development of the browser even further. Performance is of utmost importance for every computer user, and the latest builds of Opera Next have been improved with the implementation of hardware acceleration. Interestingly, hardware acceleration is an opt-in feature.

    A new DirectX backend is available instead of OpenGL and the hardware acceleration is used to not only improve the rendering time for pages, but also boosts the speed of the user interface. In addition to the performance gains that come from the implementation of this new feature, overall performance of the browser has also been tweaked and stability problems arising from the use of plugins have been addressed.

    Opera has supported right-to-left (RTL) web pages for quite some time now, and the latest snapshot bring the same support to the program interface. If you have your language set to Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew or Urdu the RTL UI will be loaded for you automatically, effectively creating a mirror image of what is usual displayed, with the order of menus and buttons reversed.

    A somewhat more minor change to the browser is the new icon. The change is nothing major, amounting to little more than a bit of spit and polish, but it is another step along the road to completion.

    You can find out more and download a copy of the latest version of the browser by paying a visit to theOpera Next 12.00 build 1385 review page. There’s also a 64-bit version of the browser available.

  • Permalink for 'SkyDrive user? You're about to lose two-thirds of your storage space'

    SkyDrive user? You're about to lose two-thirds of your storage space

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 5:27pm MDT by Ed Oswald

    Microsoft on Monday launched a new version of SkyDrive, bringing the cloud-file sharing service to the desktop. This move did not come without a cost -- new users will have far less space, and current users only have a "limited time" to keep the generous storage the Redmond, Wash. company provides. But more on that a bit later.

    The enhancements address problems with SkyDrive's browser-based interface which irk critics and customers. With desktop integration, cloud storage becomes a drag-and drop-process.

    Microsoft is also pushing management and sharing enhancements to its mobile apps for iOS and Android. The desktop functionality comes via an application that sits on the system tray of OS X or in the taskbar on Windows.

    Early adopters will welcome the changes, but many will make sacrifices to get them. Every user is now limited to 7GB of space by default, versus the 25GB of space the service launched with. That is a cut of more than two-thirds. If you want additional space, you're going to pay: an extra 20GB of space is $10 yearly, 50GB is $25, and 100GB is $50 per year.

    "Since the current base of customers using SkyDrive tilts towards enthusiasts, we are confident that, as we expand the range of people using SkyDrive, this 7GB free limit will prove to be more than enough for even more people", Windows chief Steve Sinofsky says.

    Sinofsky claims that 99.94 percent of current users use less than 7GB of space in order to justify the decrease. Furthermore, an overwhelming majority use 2GB or less. Right, but if most people use so little, why take it away. Microsoft loses little offering 25GB, but gains much from positive perceptions. After all, that huge amount raises Microsoft's cloud storage well above most competitors.

    Not happy with the change? Users will be able to upgrade their storage for free back to the 25GB limit for a limited time, but must do so manually. Sinofsky nor Microsoft gives any timeline as to the expiration of the offer, but after that more storage will cost you. And if you aren't a current SkyDrive user -- or perhaps a Windows Live Mesh tester -- 7GB is all you're getting. Sorry, no extra free space for you.

    "One of the challenges in building personal cloud storage for billions of people is scaling capacity and managing costs, while also meeting the needs of both enthusiasts and mainstream users", Sinofsky argues, deflecting the criticism towards unlimited storage services "with lots of strings attached". Microsoft seems to think that the freedom of use, such as the capability to upload file sizes up to 2GB, is what sets the service apart from the competition.

    How does SkyDrive compare? Dropbox only offers 2GB of storage for free: 50GB of space is available for $99 annually and 100GB for $199. Google's rumored cloud storage service Google Drive is believed to offer only 5GB of free space. Microsoft is definitely ahead of the curve.

    Despite SkyDrive's advantages, it does seem somewhat disappointing that Microsoft has decided to make its SkyDrive product only marginally more attractive than competing options. Sinofsky's long-winded post announcing the changes to the product seem like a lot of extra words just to say our service will have much less storage.

    The question is: Wouldn't 25GB of storage now be more useful considering desktop integration is a key new feature? I think it's a safe bet people are about to use a whole lot more space now that it is easier than ever to share files to the SkyDrive cloud.

    Photo Credit: Ovchynnikov Oleksii/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'What happens when your online games does too well?'

    What happens when your online games does too well?

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 5:03pm MDT by Robert Levitan

    Indeed, these are the kinds of problems we would love to have, but when they actually occur we need solutions nonetheless. So, how do you handle the issues that occur when audience demand overwhelms the infrastructure you have provisioned to serve your content?

    A few years ago, my company was approached by Latin Interactive Network (LIN), a publisher of online games across Latin America, including countries like Peru, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. LIN handles several successful MMOs in these territories, including the Spanish-language version of Audition Online, a unique free-to-play dance battle game. Audition is a big favorite, and in Latin America alone, the game is now played by half a million players per month. This is welcome news for LIN, of course, but not always so welcome for Audition gamers who may be stuck using outdated and underpowered infrastructure...

    Not long ago, I wrote about the difficulty of expanding the online games business into Latin America, and I cited sluggish Internet speeds and failing downloads as one of the biggest obstacles to distribution. Audition Online, for example, has an installer client that is 2.2 GB, and daily patches ranging from 60MB to 200MB. LIN had been using a traditional Content Delivery Network (CDN) to push this data to their users, and every time a new patch went live, their CDN usage would spike.

    Speeds would slow to a crawl and file transfers would drop as hundreds of thousands of users all attempted to fight over FTP connections. With only so much bandwidth to go around on the already-taxed Telefonica network, the CDN could only serve so many users at once, which was leading to failed patch deliveries, frustrated players and decreased user retention.

    I’ve written before that ease of delivery is crucial to success in the F2P market. If a user hasn’t paid into your game yet, there is no commitment to keep them from walking away if they feel frustrated when trying to download. For LIN, suddenly having a game be “too popular” was catastrophic: the upper limit for their audience was being defined by the capacity of their CDN.

    Pando was able to solve LIN’s specific problem by adding client-side patching to assist the overtaxed CDN servers.  By distributing the high data volume across the network, rather than trying to force it all through a single main artery, LIN saw download speeds increase tenfold and the patch completion rate jumped to 99 percent. This in turn led to a larger audience, more concurrent users, and an overall increase of in-game purchases.

    Adding secure client-side delivery is not the solution to everybody’s network problems. The ultimate lesson here is to remain flexible and be prepared to explore outside of traditional protocols.

    To many people today, clicking a download link on a web page seems as simple as turning on a light switch or a water faucet. In truth, there are many variables affecting online media delivery, including concurrent demand, network capacity, and the physical location of CDN servers (just to name a few).

    As the Internet and wireless networks become even more popular media distribution platforms and as cloud services expand, data volumes will climb exponentially and network capacity issues will arise. The solution may come in the form of different protocols, better compression, or eventually higher capacity networks. No matter which methods we come to rely on, there will always be periods of peak demand -- new game patches, prime-time video streaming, and more. We need flexible networks with elastic capacity to handle those moments.

    We all want to deliver the next big MMO title.  But even a blockbuster like Audition can only go so far if we can’t get it in front of our players.

    Robert Levitan is CEO Pando Networks. Prior to founding Pando, he cofounded iVillage, Flooz.com and YearLook Enterprises. In between starting companies from scratch and some adventures in world travel, Levitan serves on the board of the Executive Council of New York and New York Cares, a service organization that coordinates volunteers who work with children, the homeless and the elderly.

  • Permalink for 'You can use the new link to Dropbox feature like Megaupload (kinda)'

    You can use the new link to Dropbox feature like Megaupload (kinda)

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 4:00pm MDT by Tim Conneally


    Popular file storage and sharing service Dropbox on Monday announced users can now share the contents of their Dropbox via a direct link that anyone can open, even if they're not a Dropbox user.

    The feature is noteworthy because it deviates slightly from the traditional Dropbox sharing model. Instead of sharing files between Dropbox users, this feature simply links to content and makes it viewable.

    From the Dropbox Web interface, desktop interface, or mobile application, users click "Get link," and they can then share their folders and files on a gallery-style webpage where other users can view, but not edit, the contents. Linked users can view pictures, powerpoint presentations, and videos without having to download and open them separately.

    Naturally, the big application here is streaming music and video files, and when you link an .mp3 or .mov file with this new feature, it's embedded in a browser-based player. Many other single file formats, however, are still not supported by the in-browser player and can be downloaded (FLAC files, for instance) and also compressed file archives. So for former Megaupload users looking for a free way to share their files with a big audience, Dropbox can now serve as an option.

    However, Dropbox will turn the contents of your private account over to the authorities if it has to, so if sharing files is your thing, make sure you only share what you own!

    Dropbox had the following to add: “Dropbox explicitly prohibits copyright abuse. We’ve put in place a number of measures to ensure that our sharing feature is not misused. For example, there’s a copyright flag on every page allowing for easy reporting, we place bandwidth limits on downloads, and we prohibit users from creating links to files that have been subject to a DMCA notice. We want to offer an easy way for people to share their life’s work while respecting the rights of others.”

  • Permalink for 'Samsung Galaxy S III promo dares iPhone users to be different [video]'

    Samsung Galaxy S III promo dares iPhone users to be different [video]

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 2:17pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Samsung's new promo for next week's big mobile event is a real snoozer. It's nothing like those cheesy videos mocking iPhone users for being wannabe hipsters, who have such no lives they'll wait hours on end to buy a phone that looks exactly like the one owned now. Instead of chutzpah, galaxies pass before your eyes. Get it? New Galaxy device launch. Wake me, I fell asleep.

    But wait for it. There's a pretty good punchline, if you can bear through the video's first 48 seconds. Be sure that if an iPhone user, Samsung means the dig for you.

  • Permalink for 'Use your Windows 8 tablet as a mobile set-top box [video]'

    Use your Windows 8 tablet as a mobile set-top box [video]

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 12:40pm MDT by Travis Boyko

    It's amazing what you can do with Windows 8. In this video demo I show how you can convert your Windows 8 tablet into a mobile multimedia set-top box for your TV. You could also turn your tablet into a game console, if you want.

    I use an Acer W500 tablet -- running Windows 8 Consumer Preview, of course -- plugged into the TV, without additional power (that's good for about four hours battery life). In this configuration, the Windows tablet is like a mobile set-top box.

    What you'll need:

    • HDMI cord
    • Tablet running Windows 8
    • Bluetooth/wireless mouse
    • Wireless Xbox 360 controller
    • BoothTooth keyboard (not required)

    Software I use in the demo and where in the timeline you'll find it:

    • Windows 8 Consumer Preview (All)
    • Community Codec Pack + Windows Media Player Classic (1:05)
    • iTunes (4:11)
    • Web browser (6:15)
    • PC Game : Flow (9:49)
    • PC Game : Hydro Thunder (11:11)
    • PC Game : Hydro Thunder + Wordament (16:30)
    • PC Game : Angry Birds Seasons (22:19)
    • PC Game : Need For Speed Underground 2 (23:08)
    • Tablet On TV Via Clone Screens + Flow Demo Via Touch to TV (30:59)

    Enjoy the video!

    Travis Boyko has worked with computers since he was 3 years old. While other children played with toys, he learned DOS commands. He has used every Windows version, as well as Linux, OS/2, OS X, Unix and Windows Server. His software collection goes back to the 1980s and includes original boxes of Windows 1.0, Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0, Lotus 1-2-3 and Windows 7 Signature Edition 32-bit and 64-bit full versions.

  • Permalink for 'Adobe Creative Suite 6 takes to the cloud'

    Adobe Creative Suite 6 takes to the cloud

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 11:52am MDT by Ed Oswald

    Adobe took the wraps off Creative Suite 6 on Monday, introducing the largest release to date of the content-creation platform. CS6 now includes up to 12 programs and two companion applications, Bridge and Encore, and is available in four editions: Design Standard, Design and Web Premium, Production Premium, and Master Collection.

    The CS6 beta is one of the most successful in the company's history, with one million downloads over the past month of availability alone, a record for Adobe. The move was slightly unusual considering the company typically does not offer large-scale betas of its products.

    Photoshop gets notable upgrades including content-aware editing tools and video-editing capability, as well as performance enhancements that should speed the image-editing process. Photoshop Extended includes several new 3D image and new 2D design tools and an overall "darker" look: the user interface now uses blacks and greys versus the white UI of previous versions.

    While Flash continues to be a part of the Creative Suite, Adobe seriously begins the transition to HTML5 in this release. Two new development applications take center stage, dubbed Muse and Edge. Muse will automate the process of developing HTML5 websites, while Adobe Edge assists in the creation of animated web content.

    Creative Suite 6 packages range in price from $1,299 for Design Standard to $2,599 for the Master Collection. Customers can pre-order starting today with availability planned within 30 days, the company says.

    Consider the Cloud

    Those that find CS6 too costly might consider Adobe's push towards the cloud as alternative. For $49.99 per month, subscribers gain access to all 14 applications in the suite plus some additional benefits.

    The idea of subscriptions is nothing new to Adobe, but the cloud aspect of the service is. Adobe is integrating its tablet app suite into CS6, and using the cloud to sync workflows between the desktop and tablet versions of applications -- 20GB of online storage is included in the monthly fee. The cloud will also deliver new functionality and updates before the general public has access, and assist in mobile app submission to the Apple App Store and Android marketplaces.

    All in all, the focus on the cloud will make Creative Suite much more affordable for a broader segment of Adobe's customer base. That is welcome news for a company that has struggled in recent years to produce stable financial results.

    Creative Cloud is perhaps the most intriguing part of CS6 as it signals the beginning of a shift towards cloud-based delivery of Adobe products. It also saves the end user a good deal of money. All 14 applications are available through the service. Considering CS6 Master Collection retails for $2,599, and Adobe's average release cycle is 12-18 months, a user who selects Creative Cloud over the physical media would save as much as $2,000 depending on what applications they download and the next major release of Creative Suite.

    Creative Cloud will also sync work between desktop versions of CS6 and companion touch tablet apps. Creative Cloud Connection will save the necessary work in the cloud using the 20GB of space included with each account. Adobe does plan to make additional storage available in the future, it says.

    Those interested should note that the $49.99 monthly fee is available to those agreeing to an annual contract. Those preferring month to month service will pay an extra $30 each month. As an incentive to owners of previous Creative Suite versions, Adobe is offering promotional discount pricing.

    Owners of CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5 will be able to register for Creative Cloud for $29.99 per month if they agree to a one-year contract, according to the company's website.

    Photo Credit: Sergej Khakimullin/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Mandiant Redline uncovers malware other apps won't'

    Mandiant Redline uncovers malware other apps won't

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 11:22am MDT by Mike Williams

    If your PC gets attacked by some previously discovered specimen of malware then it’s relatively easy to spot. Your antivirus package will scan the new file on access, realize there’s a match for something in its virus database, and the threat will be quarantined immediately, before any real damage can be done.

    If you’re attacked by some brand new specimen, though, it’s a very different story. Every antivirus package claims it can also detect new threats by behavior alone, but this is vastly more difficult: there’s a good chance that it’ll be missed. And so if you think your system might have been compromised, then it’s a good idea to get a little third-party scanning help from the free Mandiant Redline.

    The program works by carrying out an extremely thorough low-level scan covering every aspect of your PC. This can take a very long time (it required more than 30 minutes on our test PC), although you can keep this down a little by closing all non-essential programs before you start. But when it’s finished the program will create an MRI (Malware Risk Index) score for everything running on your system, which highlights the risk that a particular process is malware.

    It’s important to not expect too much from this. Redline works by applying very simple rules -- looking at executable files which aren’t signed and verified, for instance -- and so this inevitably creates a lot of false alarms. On our test PC, for instance, iTunesHelper.exe received a malware risk index of 93. There was actually a solid reason for this -- another application had inserted a DLL into its address space -- but we still knew the process wasn’t a threat. And it’ll be the same on your PC. The MRI scores provide a place to start looking for possibly malicious processes, but they’re not actually proof of anything in themselves; a high MRI doesn’t mean you’re infected.

    If you’re an expert Windows user, then, the real value of Redline isn’t in the MRI scores; it’s more then in-depth system information that’s provided along with them.

    For each target process, for instance, you can browse its handles (Files, Directories, Processes, Registry Keys, Semaphore, Mutant, Event or Section, they’re all here). There’s an in-depth memory map. You can view strings within each process space (as long as you’ve chosen to collect those initially), and see any network connections it has open.

    And multiple “Investigative Steps” give you a more general view across your system. You can browse system hooks to try and detect rootkits, for instance. There’s an option to view low-level details on your installed drivers. And there are pages on your network ports and connections, memory sections and loaded DLLs, untrusted handles and a whole lot more.

    None of this is exactly beginner-friendly, of course; Redline is oriented squarely at security professionals. If you know what you’re doing, though, there’s plenty of useful information to be found here, and the program really can help you to uncover even the very latest, previously undiscovered malware.

    Photo Credit: bicubic/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Microsoft enterprise licensing changes favor Windows RT, put Android and iOS in their place'

    Microsoft enterprise licensing changes favor Windows RT, put Android and iOS in their place

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 11:02am MDT by Paul DeGroot

    If you can't beat them, manage them. It's a strategy that has worked well for Microsoft in the past, and it is emerging as a key element in announcements last week about how Microsoft will license Windows 8 in all its variations, including the x86 consumer, Professional and Enterprise editions, the embedded Windows RT and the cloud-based Windows Intune.

    While Microsoft's primary goal is to stop Apple's growth in the enterprise, which it will do by tilting licensing policies in favor of Windows tablets, the company has a Plan B that will help monetize Apple and Android devices in the enterprise through management.

    Rights are limited Without Changes

    The most obvious way that Microsoft has tilted licensing in its favor is a provision that exempts devices running Windows RT from special virtualization licensing.

    Today, most desktop virtualization rights are limited to customers who purchase Software Assurance (SA), Microsoft's upgrade and benefits add-on for volume licensees, when they buy Windows OS upgrades. (Microsoft doesn't sell full Windows licenses through volume-licensing programs.) SA, which costs up to $55 a year, gives businesses the right to run multiple virtual machines on their desktops and to access remote virtual machines.

    If Microsoft did not change the rules, here's what you'd have to do if you had a device running Windows RT. Since it can't get a Windows upgrade (embedded OSes can't be upgraded to Windows) the user of this device would need to purchase a Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) subscription, which costs about twice as much as Software Assurance, for every Windows RT device.

    Microsoft does have a "roaming right" that is available for users whose PCs have Software Assurance on Windows. It is supposed to let these users access a virtual desktop infrastructure from another device, but the fine print imposes bizarre restrictions -- no device that is controlled, even indirectly, by the licensee can be used this way. Microsoft says only something like a public kiosk is eligible. Also, the device can't run on the licensee's network. In short, the SA Roaming Right only permits access from untrusted devices over insecure networks, the kind of thing that most corporations will do their level best to block.

    That language rules out home or personally owned PCs, since a PC used by the licensee's employee to get work done doesn't qualify as a third-party device. (Nevertheless, many Microsoft Web pages and informational documents erroneously include home PCs in the SA roaming right.)

    Something Special about Windows RT

    Windows 8 licensing fixes some of this. According to Microsoft's Windows blog, any user of a PC with Software Assurance on Windows who also has a device running Windows RT receives VDA rights and can use that device to access a VDI image in the corporate datacenter. No nonsense restricts this to a third-party device or forbids its use on corporate premises. It's what the SA Roaming Right should have been.

    However, non-Windows devices don't get such a free ride. It's not good enough that an iPad user has a PC with SA on Windows. They also need to purchase a new Companion Device License.

    The blog's description of the CDL has some quirks that deserve close examination. Aside from the fact that iPad owners need to buy it while Windows RT device owners don't, there's this:

    • The CDL, even at extra costs doesn't level the playing field for non-Windows devices, since VDA rights are mentioned for Windows RT, but not for the CDL.
    • Windows RT devices can use their VDA rights to access "a full VDI image running in the datacenter"; iPads get the right to access "their corporate desktop".
    • The Windows RT right doesn't specify how many devices it applies to; the CDL applies to "four personally owned devices".

    This information comes from a blog, and not from an official document like Microsoft Product Use Rights, but if we take it literally, it could put iPad and Android tablet owners at quite a disadvantage. Here's how:

    1. Non-Windows devices may not have access to a virtual desktop infrastructure in the datacenter, which is easier to manage centrally. If they want that, they'll maybe have to buy the full VDA, which Windows RT devices get for free.

    2. The rights offered by the CDL-- remote access to one's corporate desktop -- are not new. Anyone who is the primary user of a PC licensed for Windows already has the right to access that device from any other device, including an iPad. That's in the Windows EULA and it has been there for many years. In announcing a paid license that does the same thing, Microsoft may be removing the free "primary user" right, which would be a big loss. Today, tools like TeamViewer, LogMeIn, or GoToMyPC let iPad users access the PC in their cubicle and have full access to Office, SharePoint, and other corporate resources without paying another dime.

    3. Use of company-owned iPads and Android tablets may be prohibited, even with the CDL, since it applies only to "personally owned" devices.

    To sum this up, what we've seen so far suggests that WinRT devices will have a significant licensing advantage over non-Windows tablets. Microsoft is not only giving WinRT devices free access to VDI that others need to pay for, but it may be taking away rights that non-Windows devices have today, forcing customers to pay to get them back.

    Windows Intune Device Management

    On the off chance that iPads and Android tablets will still have a future in Windows shops after Windows tablets come out, Microsoft is prepared to make a little more money off them by providing management tools.

    Windows Intune gives subscribers (at $132 a year) the right to install the latest version of Windows on their PC. A cloud-based console can be used to manage those PCs, push software out to them, make sure they have the latest antivirus signatures, and so on.

    Intune is not a compelling offering for larger customers (although small customers with limited IT resources may find it attractive). Most enterprises already get the latest version of Windows and license some System Center tools for managing their desktops, so Intune is just an expensive way to get a Windows upgrade and some management tools.

    However, it also includes the Software Assurance virtualization rights, without forcing customers to also buy a Windows upgrade that they may not need, and that's positive for some businesses.

    In its next iteration, Intune will add management (but not SA virtualization rights) for devices that support Microsoft's ActiveSync technology, including iPads, iPhones and Android tablets and phones. ActiveSync doesn't offer the most comprehensive suite of management options, and in many cases the devices support only a fraction of the features that ActiveSync offers. Nevertheless, Intune may be the path of least resistance for a lot of customers who don't have a good mobile device management system in place today, and it could let Microsoft profit quite handsomely from all of those Apple and Android tablets.

    If you count just $1 a month of the Intune fee as what you're paying for managing a non-Windows tablet, Microsoft is making $12 a year, and perhaps $36 over the life of the device for management features. That's more than the royalties Microsoft will ever get off Apple and Google.

    Intune's underlying management technology comes from the new System Center 2012, which will offer broader management for non-Microsoft mobile devices and will further encourage customers to keep investing in Microsoft's management tools.

    It echoes Microsoft's virtualization strategy. Where VMware charges big money for ESX and nice sums for VMware Workstation, Microsoft gives away Hyper-V and Virtual PC. But because most of the workloads running in those VMs, even on VMware's platform, are running Microsoft workloads and are best managed with Microsoft's System Center tools, the company is monetizing VMware's customers through management.

    It looks like whether they win the tablet wars or not, they're determined to win the management wars.

    Photo Credit:  olly/Shutterstock

    Paul DeGroot is one of the world's leading experts on Microsoft licensing policies, rules and volume licensing programs. Over a ten-year period, he developed and led the licensing practice at Directions on Microsoft, an independent analyst firm focused on understanding Microsoft policies and strategies. DeGroot formed Pica Communications, LLC, where he is principal consult, in 2010, to bring his licensing expertise to a broad range of customers worldwide. Please follow him on Twitter.

  • Permalink for 'PCs need model years, just like cars'

    PCs need model years, just like cars

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 10:10am MDT by Mike Feibus

    Windows PC makers will start unveiling their first 2013 models from today. They are all desktops built around the maiden Ivy Bridge processors out of the chute, which Intel announced late this morning. Ivy Bridge is the working name for Intel’s 2013 models.

    Intel decision-makers chafe whenever I refer to their processor generations as model years. In fact, executives throughout the PC ecosystem universally hate the term. They’d better all start embracing it, though. Because they’ll need to adopt a model-year mentality if they want to ensure continuing growth.

    Good for Growth

    These days, even the most casual observer can see that the PC industry could stand to use an injection of growth. First-quarter market estimates now are trickling in, and it appears that PC shipments were basically flat from last year. Some of us hold out hope that sleek, sexy new designs paired with a new Windows operating system will stimulate consumer interest and spark some growth by year’s end. I happen to subscribe to that point of view. But there are plenty of others who believe that the best days of the PC are behind us now that tablets permeate the landscape.

    No doubt, media tablets divert cash that consumers might otherwise spend on new PCs. But it’s not the reason I’m advocating the model-year concept. Tablets are merely the latest new shiny thing to take advantage of the PC industry’s lack of a cadence and steal sales. There have been lots of others. Some of them, like tablets, prey on a weakness of PCs of the day. PDAs are another example of this.

    Digression: why does the flight attendants’ narrative still include a passage giving us permission to turn on our PDAs once the plane is airborne? Raise your hand if you still use a PDA. In public, I mean. Where others can see you.

    I thought so.

    But electronic devices don’t have to be even remotely related for them to impact PC sales growth. Personal video recorders, flat-screen TVs, set-top gaming systems and MP3 players are just a few examples of items that sapped PC sales over the years. Consumers have limited funds to spend on electronics. So if there’s an exciting new gadget available, and the old PC still works tolerably, then the new laptop purchase will have to wait another year. That’s the hazard of high penetration rates.

    The auto industry saved itself 90 years ago by adopting the model-year directive. After a couple short decades of rapid sales growth, the low-hanging fruit had all been plucked. Most households that could afford a car now had one. And they weren’t becoming obsolete. A five-year-old car could motor along at 45mph indistinguishably as well as a new car.

    Date is Gentle Reminder

    So what to do? Model years, that’s what. If managed properly, model years can serve as a gentle yet ever-present reminder to consumers that their ride is, well, outdated.

    The PC ecosystem has been wrestling with a similar problem for decades. With few exceptions, four-year-old PCs can handle consumers’ demands today. So why not extend the replacement cycle for another year? Certainly, there is no compelling reason coming from the PC ecosystem to speed up replacement cycles.

    I started preaching model years about 15 years ago, when I was on an advisory council at Microsoft. The folks in Redmond, Wash. said that model years were a good idea. Unfortunately, they couldn’t implement model years because they’re on a multi-year upgrade cycle.  Or so they said.

    Intel and AMD also said they were a good idea. But they couldn’t adopt it, they said, because the model-year methodology would introduce an ebb and flow into their manufacturing cadence, and they needed to keep their factories humming full force for 12 months out of the year.

    Good idea, the PC vendors agreed. But they couldn’t adopt it because they need to sell out their inventory, they said. And who would buy last year’s model once this year’s was out?

    And they all, each of them, said: what if we have a hiccup in our schedule and our product is delayed?

    Meantime, in spite of each of their objections, they’ve all been moving closer to the idea. Intel now updates its architectures annually. And Microsoft, which still can’t figure out how to roll out a PC platform on a schedule that Outlook can present, is spinning multiple Windows Phone updates a year, just like the rest of the smartphone ecosystem.

    And they all still say that PC model years is a good idea. But...

    It’s always ‘but.’

    But...what a model-year cadence would do for the industry is that it would give them an opportunity to spruce up the platform: new processor, new OS, new aesthetics. If you don’t have a new OS, give us a cosmetic update to last year’s. That’s what the auto industry does.

    Intel deftly adopted BMW’s 300/500/700 grading system for delineating good, better and best in its product line. So when consumers buy a Core i5-based PC, they know they’re getting a middle-of-the-road system.

    Great. So why not also signal that they own a 2012 laptop? That way, they’ll have ever-present reminders of where their systems rank -- and also the age of their systems.

    So forget the ‘but’s’ and get it together, PC ecosystem. The calendar is ticking.

    Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

    Mike Feibus is principal analyst at TechKnowledge Strategies, a Scottsdale, Ariz., market research firm focusing on client technologies. You can reach him at mike at techknowledge-group dot com.

  • Permalink for 'The hidden costs of poor technology purchasing'

    The hidden costs of poor technology purchasing

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 8:55am MDT by Chris Doig

    Poor technology purchasing happens when a company buys products that do not properly meet their requirements. It happens with things like enterprise software and cloud services, and sometimes even with things like datacenters, hardware and phone systems. It happens more often than you realize but you don’t hear much about it. People love to talk about their purchasing successes, but they are far more reluctant to talk about their purchasing failures.

    The infrequent nature of these types of purchases is the root cause of the problem. While employees may have deep system experience, they are often not up to date with competing products in the market simply because these types of purchases happen so seldom. This can lead to a gap between what the selected product delivers and what the business requires. When this gap gets too large, you have a technology purchasing failure.

    The most practical solution is to thoroughly understand the business and technical requirements, and then select the technology product that best meets those requirements. That is a lot of work and sometimes people take short cuts. This article looks at the hidden costs of those short cuts from three different but related perspectives.

    Financial Cost

    The most obvious cost of poor technology purchasing is financial. Almost by definition, you are overpaying if you buy the wrong product. Upgrades or third-party products to get around limitations waste money. Even more money is wasted if the product is later replaced. Many companies cannot bring themselves to replace a problem purchase, so it can hang around for years. Sometimes only new management can recognize the problem and replace the product.

    With software, the old system often works in parallel with a new system for a while, and then changes to an archival state with minimal maintenance. However, if the new system does not fully replace the old system, then the full costs of maintaining the old system remains (e.g. licenses and maintenance fees). There can also be considerable consulting costs to get both working properly together.

    Time Cost

    Did you ever hear the story about the man so busy shoveling snow he had no time to learn how to use a snow blower? No matter how hard he shoveled, he never really solved his problem. Poor technology purchasing has the same effect on a business. People are so busy solving problems caused by bad purchasing, they do not have the time to do the work required to ensure good purchases. So they continue to take short cuts and make poor purchases. The problem just perpetuates itself.

    Support staff spend time on technical problems like hardware issues, or trying to stretch the product configuration to meet business needs. Occasionally third-party products are required for missing features, and that takes time to research, install and maintain. After purchasing a new software system, the goal is to retire the old system, but sometimes that old system lives on. If there are upgrades, e.g. as with software systems, now two systems must be upgraded taking extra time every upgrade cycle.

    Opportunity Cost

    Opportunity cost is the most difficult to quantify, but it is certainly very real.  Because the company is distracted by internal problems of their own making, they miss new business opportunities. This effect compounds, and it gets more difficult to recruit top talent for a company known to be “behind the curve”. There is another hidden cost: Poor purchasing reflects badly on the person making those purchasing decisions, and can badly impact careers.

    A Real Example

    A company of about 120 people prepared for a major business expansion, but operated IT on a tight capital budget. They were expanding their network and knew an upgrade to a VoIP phone system was in the near future. They selected 3Com network switches based mainly on price, but also considered compatibility. Then they retired their old Nortel phone system, and replaced it with a Cisco VoIP system.

    They tested the 3Com switches with the new Cisco VoIP system and everything seemed to work perfectly. After rolling out the new phone system, random dropped calls started happening. Everything had worked properly when testing, so what was going on? Was the Cisco phone system incompatible with 3Com? Cisco switches were more than double the price of equivalent 3Com switches so there was a strong push not to spend the money to replace them.

    When the CFO dropped an important conference call, priorities changed.  The company called in a consultant; after considerable effort he discovered the 3Com switches only supported five VoIP phones on simultaneous calls. If you wanted more than five calls at once, you needed an external power supply. With external power supplies, the 3Com switches cost about the same as the Cisco switches. When the cost of the consultant’s time was added in, the company ended up spending more then if they had bought Cisco switches right from the start.

    This real life example illustrates the three costs of poor technology purchasing very well.

    • Financial Cost: The 3Com switches were fine originally, but did not work in their new role and needed replacing. Even though a VoIP upgrade was in the near future, budgets prevented buying higher end switches -- a false economy.
    • Time Cost: Finding the problem took significant IT time. Even the CFO wasted time, and those dropped calls could have had a significant impact on business.
    • Opportunity Cost: All the time spent resolving the issue meant that employees focused on solving problems of their own making, instead of other important business.

    This example is just a very small illustration of something that happens too often in industry. At the other end of the scale look at Waste Management spending $100 million on ERP software, and then dragging the vendor into court. The whole sorry saga took 5 years to play out.

    The most practical way to avoid poor technology purchasing is to ensure you thoroughly understand the business and technical requirements, and then pick the product that best meets those requirements. That takes hard work, but the rewards are well worth it. The upside is that successful technology purchases really do have a better return on investment. When the technology just works, IT job stresses are reduced. Finally, successful technology purchasing can also enhance careers.

    Chris Doig has personally seen the problems caused by poor technology purchasing in multiple companies. He co-founded Wayferry, a startup that created a free decision support tool for technology purchasing. Wayferry’s mission is to help IT people everywhere make better technology purchasing decisions.

  • Permalink for 'Amazon launches beta of new site for commercial and industrial supply'

    Amazon launches beta of new site for commercial and industrial supply

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 8:33am MDT by Tim Conneally


    Leading web retailer Amazon.com on Monday launched the beta of AmazonSupply, a new site dealing in tools, materials, machinery, office equipment, and supplies for business, industry, and commerce.

    AmazonSupply launches with approximately 500,000 different items, which are separated into fourteen different classes: Lab & Scientific, Test, Measure & Inspect, Occupational Health & Safety, Janitorial & Sanitation, Office, Fleet & Vehicle Maintenance, Power & Hand Tools, Cutting Tools, Abrasives & Finishing, Material Handling, Materials, Hydraulics Pneumatics & Plumbing, Fasteners, and Power Transmission.

    "We're excited to offer a wide range of items, from basic supplies like drill bits and automatic hand dryers, to hard to find parts like laboratory centrifuges and miniature polyimide tubing, enabling business and industrial customers to streamline their buying processes," said Prentis Wilson, vice president of AmazonSupply in a statement on Monday.

    AmazonSupply only launches in the United States today, but the domain is parked in Canada, the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Japan, and China.

  • Permalink for 'Firefox and Thunderbird turn 12 -- get them now!'

    Firefox and Thunderbird turn 12 -- get them now!

    Posted: April 23rd, 2012, 6:15am MDT by Nick Peers

    Mozilla has released new final versions of Firefox 12 and Thunderbird 12, its open source browser and email messaging tools. Neither update, despite the new version number, contains much in the way of exciting new features, but developments on future builds suggest version 13 could be a landmark release for both.

    Firefox 12 introduces one notable change for Windows users -- the advent of silent updates with no User Account Control dialog getting in the way, while Thunderbird 12’s headline new feature is the ability to view message extracts in global search results.

    Firefox 12 is a landmark release for Windows users in that it shifts to silent updates by eliminating the need for administrator-level access to the system. This in turn removes the UAC prompt and will provide a more seamless updating mechanism in the future.

    The only other notable change is a refresh to the HTML5 media controls that appear when the user browses video embedded in the page using HTML5 rather than a proprietary technology such as Adobe Flash.

    Although a disappointing update in itself, future builds of Firefox, which we’ll profile in more depth in a later post, promise some radical revamps, including major changes to the user interface. These will start to appear in Firefox 13, which is currently slated to move to the Beta channel tomorrow, on April 24.

    Like its cousin, Thunderbird 12 has little in the way of eye-catching new features. Those using its global search tools will, however, be pleased to see that message extracts are now displayed in the search results, while the new build also promises improvements to RSS feed subscription and general feed handling for those who use Thunderbird as a RSS reader.

    The final new feature in Thunderbird 12 is support for add-ons that provide different types of local mail storage to the default Mbox format currently utilised, such as MailDir or a sqlite database. This new feature is aimed primarily at developers, but may also interest more experienced users who are frustrated by the Mbox format.

    Thunderbird 13 also apes Firefox 13 in promising more radical changes, including support for sharing files via online storage rather than email attachments, and tools for leveraging IM clients including Twitter inside Thunderbird itself. To preview these new features now, check out Earlybird 13.0a2, the alpha version of Thunderbird, or wait 48 hours until Thunderbird 13 Beta is released.

    Both Firefox 12 FINAL and Thunderbird 12 FINAL are available as free, open-source downloads for Windows, Mac and Linux.

  • Permalink for 'Celebrate Earth Day with one of these 21 downloads'

    Celebrate Earth Day with one of these 21 downloads

    Posted: April 22nd, 2012, 1:00pm MDT by Mark Wilson

    As April's end approaches, there is much software to thrill over. During the past week, the number of exciting releases covered seemingly every category imaginable. Whether you want to keep your computer running smoothly or have photos you want to edit, there’s something here for everyone.

    Hard drive maintenance is an essential part of computer ownership and TweakNow HD-Analyzer 1.0 is a handy tool that can be used to free up disk space by identifying large files and folders. Once you have deleted unnecessary files, O&O Defrag 15.5 32-bit is on hand to help you to keep your hard drive defragmented, including remote computers on your network. There is also a 64-bit version of the program available, O&O Defrag 15.5 64-bit.

    If privacy is more of a concern than performance, take a look at Wise Folder Hider 1.14 beta, which enables you to hide folders and files from sight, as well as entire USB drives. The need for compressed files is still present, and WinZip 16.5 has been updated to allow for faster archive creation and includes enhanced features such as archive sharing and zip encryption.

    Whether you are using a compression tool to send file by email, upload to your web space, or for backup purposes, there have been a number of programs released this week that can help you to create files. LibreCAD 1.0.2 is an impressive free 2D CAD tool that can be used to bring your design ideas to life, while Ashampoo Photo Commander 10.0.1 provides you with everything you need to tag, edit, optimize and share your photos. If you’re more interesting in audio and video files, Adapter 1.4 is available for both Mac and PC and it enables you to not only download online videos, but also convert them into one of the many supported formats.

    Security is a major concern for users of all platforms, and the week had a number of important releases in this field for Windows. F-Secure Easy Clean 1.2.18070.17 is a free, although not entirely comprehensive, virus and malware detection and removal tool. But if you’re looking for more thorough protection you may want to look to Norton AntiVirus 19.6.2 for which there is now a trial version available. From the same company comes Norton Internet Security 2012 v19.6.2, which is a fully featured security suite which includes not only virus and malware protection, but also a firewall, password management, and much more.

    Another useful protection tool exists in the form of Sophos Virus Removal Tool 2.0, which prides itself on its simplicity. IObit Advanced SystemCare with Antivirus 2012 (v5.5) Beta builds on the protection theme providing you with tools to maintain the performance of your computer as well. Spotflux 2.6.6 is a great tool for anyone who is concerned about the security of their internet connection is it makes it possible to not only protect yourself against the threat of viruses, but also encrypt web traffic.

    Tell When Done 1.6.0 is a great utility for anyone who wants to be alerted when their computer finishes a lengthy task, such as performing a virus scan. The utility can be configured to monitor any process or program and will sound an audio alert when it stops.

    We have already mentioned the importance of a computer’s hard drive, and backing up data is a key use for drives. COMODO BackUp 4.1.2 is a great free tool for safeguarding your data and you can create a number of profiles to backup different types of data quickly and easily. Comodo Cloud Storage 2.1.6 is another free tool from the same company that enables you to store your backups online and you are provided with 5GB of storage free of charge.

    While we have taken a brief look at the Internet in relation to this week’s security releases, the web is primarily used for reading news, performing research and other such tasks. When browsing the web you may well find that you simply do not have time to read everything you stumble across and this is where Pocket (formerly Read It Later) can help. The browser addon can be used to quickly bookmark sites you want to read later, and it is available as Pocket (formerly Read It Later) for Firefox 2.1.4 and Pocket (formerly Read It Later) for Chrome 1.0. There are also versions available for Android, iPhone and iPad owners in the form of Pocket (formerly Read It Later) 4.0.0. Owner of Samsung mobile devices running Android will want to check out Samsung Kies 2.3.0 which can be used to not only keep your firmware up to date but also to download apps and other goodies.

    There’ll be another roundup next week so you can catch up on all of the key releases from the past seven days.

    Photo Credit: NASA

  • Permalink for 'Thank you, JK Rowling'

    Thank you, JK Rowling

    Posted: April 22nd, 2012, 12:12pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Sometime ago, I pledged to wait on reading the Harry Potter series until it came out as ebooks. I was ready and willing for October's planned debut on Google Books, but that was cancelled last minute. What happened instead mindboggles. In late March, author JK Rowling opened the Pottermore Shop to sell the ebooks directly -- in formats for most any device and with no onerous digital rights management. Let me emphasize that last bit: no DRM.

    I've meant to opine since buying the Harry Potter ebooks as a set -- and affordably priced at that -- when Pottermore Shop opened 25 days ago. The universal distribution approach, fair pricing and DRM-freeness set apart the most successful fiction series in history from most every other popular literature available today in digital formats. Rowling's ebooks mark a watershed moment in digital publishing that could eventually lead to the end of onerous DRM. Remember, music started that way, but mostly is DRM-free today.

    Timing is Magical

    Rowling's timing couldn't be better, too. Two weeks ago, the US Justice Department accused Apple and five publishers -- Hachette SA, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster -- of colluding to fix ebook pricing. Three immediately settled, while MacMillan and Penguin, along with Apple, refused. I observed something then overlooked by many analyses of the lawsuit -- price fixing's effects are much bigger than what people pay for ebooks.

    Publishers also demand onerous digital rights mechanisms that defy fair use-laws permitting people to share print books. Ebook sharing is limited at best and rights often are confined to a single user account. That's a secondary form of price fixing, since it compels even members of the same household to buy more than one copy of a title when using separate accounts on different devices. Buyers can read Kindle books on any device running Amazon's software, but rights restrictions limit or prevent sharing the titles with, say, family members on their separate accounts.

    In a competitive market, particularly a growth one, competition should loosen rights. That's what happened with digital music, where DRM ruled early on but today is all but gone. Consumers benefit from the ability to share music within a household. Ebook publishers generally grant no such rights.

    By breaking the price-fixing cartel, the US government has opened competition that likely will lead to the end of onerous ebook rights protection. There, retailers like Amazon -- and also Pottermore Store -- lead the charge, much as they did for digital music. Do you remember Apple cofounder Steve Jobs' call to end digital music DRM? Apple is a music retailer, which helped put pressure on music publishers. Jobs posted a public letter in February 2007, and Apple started offering the first DRM-free tracks two months later.

    Your Rights to Read

    DRM-free music typically contains a digital watermark, often in the metadata to identify the purchaser. Pottermore Store also watermarks ebooks, which won't deter piracy but should discourage it. Ebook rights also are similar to DRM-free music, including certain sharing prohibitions:

    You may download one (1) copy of each book you purchase for storage and use on your reading/listening system, which could be your computer, your tablet, your MP3 player, your mobile phone, your eBook reader or any other compatible electronic device, or any compatible reading/listening service linked with the Pottermore Shop ('System'). You may also download up to seven (7) further copies of the book for storage and use in the same ways but this is subject to the continued availability of the book via the Pottermore Shop...

    You may not and may not permit others to do any of the following things in relation to any book or extract: sell, distribute, loan, share, give or lend the book or extract to any other person including to your friends (except in the limited circumstances explained at 12.1 above).

    Pottermore Shop offers some interesting buying options. Books are available in EPUB format, but there also is integration with digital store formats. I purchased my books connected to Amazon's Kindle Store, a choice made after purchasing. Pottermore Shop ebooks also support Barnes & Noble, Google Play and Sony Reader stores. Missing, and I surely wonder why: Apple's iBookstore.

    Because of the generous download rights, I'll sometime soon download EPUB versions as backups for use on personal future devices. I may not use Kindle software forever. EPUB should last awhile.

    All ebooks should be consumable on any device, anywhere without proprietary restrictions or rights protections. These favor publishers (and some distributors) selling ebooks, but not buyers or the cause of reading. Pottermore Shop does right, what the publishing cartel did wrong.

    Fair Pricing

    That gets down to pricing, too. Pottermore Shop sells the first three Harry Potter ebooks for $7.99 each and the other four for $9.99 a piece.

    If that pricing rings familiar but distant memory, it should. Amazon favored $9.99 for popular titles before the publishing cartel, in cooperation with Apple, forced a change in the sales model -- from wholesale to agency. Under the wholesale model, market leader Amazon and other ebook distributors set prices. Amazon chose to sell some at a loss to reach that $9.99 price. Under the agency model, publishers set prices and give distributors a 30-percent take of the sale. Publishers forced the agency model on reluctant Amazon. The change effectively raised popular title prices by $5 or more.

    But Pottermore does even better. The entire Harry Potter collection is available for $57.54, which works out to $8.22 each, saving $6.39 overall. That's how I bought my ebooks.

    I don't have enough free-reading time, but managed to knock off Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in about 10 days. I was disappointed Rowling choose to keep the Americanized title over Philosopher's Stone, but, granted, that's nitpicking.

    The Potter books are big and bulky to carry around everywhere. I could never have finished the first, if not for ebook format. I read Sorcerer's Stone on my smartphone whenever there was free time, such as meals or waiting somewhere for somebody. You know, plunking down in the man chair while my wife and daughter shopped.

    Photo Credit: Daniel Ogren

  • Permalink for 'Windows Phone will gain serious market share this year'

    Windows Phone will gain serious market share this year

    Posted: April 21st, 2012, 12:28pm MDT by Mike Feibus

    Let me repeat that a little more verbosely. Watch for Windows Phone to grab a serious hunk of market share at the end of 2012. No doubt about it. "Huh?" you ask. Believe it.

    The Feibus-is-crazy club most assuredly is enjoying a surge in membership right about now. And why not? There is certainly plenty of evidence to suggest that Windows Phone thus far has underwhelmed.

    Just this past week, in fact, Nokia’s financial results confirmed what the company, Microsoft’s primary Windows Phone partner, earlier had warned: that shipments of phones built around its fading Symbian platform are now in free-fall, and its WP7-based Lumia family isn’t picking up the slack as the company had planned.

    Microsoft’s earnings report, released the same day as Nokia’s, echoed much the same. Indeed, Windows Phone stood out arguably as the weakest link in what proved to be an impressively strong quarter for the software giant.

    So why, then, would I predict such a rosy change in fortunes for Microsoft’s struggling smartphone platform? It’s because of what was revealed in an earnings call from another wireless player, also that same day: Verizon.

    Fran Shammo, Verizon’s CFO, responding in part to a question about the high cost of subsidizing iPhones for new contracts, says that the carriers need a viable third horse in the smartphone platform derby to keep the balance of power -- and thus the prices that Apple believes it can charge the carriers for its phones -- in check. For its part, Shammo said, Verizon will throw its weight behind Windows Phone.

    The last time Verizon tinkered with the balance of power between carriers and platforms, it bet on Android, introducing the Droid in late 2009 backed by $100 million marketing campaign. That fall, iOS was the second largest shipping smartphone platform in the United States with 30 percent share, and closing in on market leader Blackberry. Android’s US share, meanwhile, stood at just 5.4 percent for that quarter. (These figures courtesy of Gartner.)

    Android’s share quadrupled the following quarter -- that’s Q4 09, the first full quarter of Droid shipments -- to 20.4 percent. A year later, Android enjoyed a majority of all domestic smartphone shipments (51.6 percent), while iOS share dipped to 20.1 percent.

    Last April, BetaNews published a white paper I wrote predicting that the carriers soon would elevate an underdog platform like Windows Phone to hold the market leaders in check. And this past week, that’s exactly what Verizon has signaled it intends to do.

    Now, don’t expect Windows Phone share to quadruple in the fourth quarter, as Android’s share did three years earlier when Verizon took up the cause:

    • For one thing, the smartphone market is several times larger.
    • Second, there aren’t any fading platforms today. Three years earlier, Android had RIM and Symbian to snatch sales from to pad share.
    • Third, the viable competitors -- Android and iOS -- own a much larger share of the market than the competitive alternatives did when Android was trying to claw its way into relevancy.

    Still, there’s little doubt that Windows Phone will snag share in the fourth quarter -- in spite of itself. Bet on it.

    Photo Credit: Joe Wilcox

    Mike Feibus is principal analyst at TechKnowledge Strategies, a Scottsdale, Ariz., market research firm focusing on client technologies. You can reach him at mike at techknowledge-group dot com.

  • Permalink for 'Apple's Flashback Trojan tool fixes nothing'

    Apple's Flashback Trojan tool fixes nothing

    Posted: April 21st, 2012, 11:21am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    As if there isn't problem enough, with Apple giving Mac users a false sense of security. Now security software vendors do it, too. Earlier in the week, Symantec reported that the number of Flashback-infected Macs had fallen to 140,000 -- that's from as many as 700,000 by Kaspersky Lab's reckoning. But yesterday, Dr. Web put the number at 500,000, leading Symantec to acknowledge low reporting of actual infections.

    The revelation -- and it most certainly is -- comes more than a week after Apple released a security update designed to remove the Flashback Trojan, which also is called Flashfake. Half-a-million compromised Macs, tied together as a botnet, is the tipping point for Apple computers. Apple and its security software partners must rally quick, to kill this beast before it bursts the fragile dike protecting the Mac user community from the tsunamis that occasionally wash across the Windows world. This the turning point, where OS X joins Windows as a platform aggressively targeted by cybercriminals.

    Mr. Gates' Neighborhood

    People have talked about this tipping point for years, but it never came -- creating yet another false sense of security (damn there are so many). This is the time, should the Flashback botnet flourish -- or even just persist. As I expressed last week, before Apple released the security fix: "Botnets this size are self-propogating. Cyberciminals can use a large botnet to attack and infect other computers. Can this one be taken down?" No is the worst possible answer to the question.

    For years, I've heard pundits of every kind claim that cybercriminals largely attack Windows over Macs because of the large number of users. One day, should Apple PC market share increase, they argued, Macs would become targets. That thinking is a load of horse poop.

    The problem started first by design. Microsoft developed Windows before the popular, public Internet and designed early networking and other features for the corporate network. The simple concept: Make sharing as easy as possible. Years ago, I referred to Windows and supporting productivity apps like Office as Mr. Gates' Neighborhood, playing off the public television kids program Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. It was a safe place, where people had no locks on their doors or windows and even connected their homes (think of that as Microsoft cross-integrating features). But then the big city -- the Internet -- grew up around the safe neighborhood. Suddenly, those lockless doors and windows and interconnected homes were a liability. Anywhere criminals could get in, they freely moved everywhere.

    A decade ago, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates made security the company's number one priority. Microsoft changed the way it develops software, took an aggressive and proactive approach to security fixes and put in locks, so to speak. But securing the Windows ecosystem was a slow process -- and still is. End users didn't change their behavior right away.

    Meanwhile, cybercriminals assailed Windows with great success, creating vast botnets of infected PCs to advance their activities. This is hugely important to understand. Windows isn't the larger target because there are more PCs running the operating system. Cybercriminals succeeded creating botnets early on that are persistent, and they will continue to be unless one thing changes rapidly in the Wintel market: XP.

    Botnet Backbones

    Windows is quite a secure operating system today. But the majority of the install base uses Windows XP, which shipped long before Gates made security Microsoft's top priority. Granted, Service Pack 2's release in 2004, did much to improve Windows XP's security architecture. But escalated user privileges, among other features, make XP considerably more vulnerable to malware attacks than Windows Vista or 7. It's explosive when mixed with careless, or simply stupid, user behavior.

    Windows botnets are the backbones of cybercriminal activity. They spread spam and phishing email, mask cybercriminal's IP identities and steal personal information on massive scales. Botnets are the ground forces in a global attack against Internet users. Their persistence is devastating.

    In March 2011, Microsoft and law enforcement took down the Rustock botnet, which had operated since 2006. Global spam volumes fell by 40 percent following the takedown. Even then, with the head and tail cut off the beast, Rustock's body persisted, with the botnet still about half its size, based on infected IPs, three months later.

    As the market slowly moves off XP, Windows botnets are threatened. How much depends on many factors, such as user behavior and development of new attack vectors. Cybercriminals need to look somewhere else, and OS X is easy pickings (same can be said of Android and iOS) since most users don't install anti-malware and a false sense of security leads many to take unnecessary risks.

    The Flashback botnet is a huge concern. If not reduced or eliminated quickly, it will spread more Mac malware and lead other cybercriminals to increase their attacks against the OS X platform. If you look at the rise of cyber attacks against Windows there is more correlation to botnets' reach than number of Wintel PC users (that's hard data I'll put together some other time -- it is Saturday!).

    This is the turning point, if Flashback is unchecked. Not because Mac market share has increased or OS X is any more vulnerable to exploitation than Windows 7. It's the successful creation of a viable Mac botnet and promise of others.

    Photo Credits: maraga/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Take away developers' PCs and send them to Walmart'

    Take away developers' PCs and send them to Walmart

    Posted: April 20th, 2012, 5:01pm MDT by Chris Boss

    Why is it so hard to get developers to realize the software they design is slow, bloated and does not have the "fast and fluid" experience we all would like? End users may not appreciate this about many programmers and their mindset, but many developers don't like to use old computers? They love their technology and demand leading-edge PCs.

    Maybe it's time to take away their computers, and send  them to Walmart to buy new ones.

    Developers and Their Computers

    When a programmer starts working on his software, he or she has to deal with two problems.

    The first is speed of development. If it takes 20 minutes to compile an application, before he or she can even run it, then it takes forever to write software. Programming is often a write some code, compile, test, then write some more code, compile and test process, which just goes on and on. I can understand the need to be productive, so the speed of the development cycle is critical to getting software finished in a reasonable amount of time.

    The second problem is that today's software often tends to be a bit sluggish, because it is so CPU intensive. The 32-bit color displays we use, high-resolution monitors, heavy emphasis on graphics and large databases we access, put heavy loads on applications. Software has to do a lot of work, just to do the basic stuff, so everything else we add as programmers, slows it down even more.

    The solution for most programmers to these problems is to buy bigger and better computers.

    Simply put (please correct me if I am wrong): developers rarely are satisfied with a cheap PC. Most likely they have the leading-edge in computers. Just give them that multicore CPU, with enough RAM for three computers and a mean, gamer's graphic card and a programmer is happy and productive. But this is the solution from a programmer's point of view and there is one big problem with it.

    Everybody Else buys PCs from Walmart

    The people who use their software often don't buy the bleeding-edge computers (unless they do CAD and 3D games or create videos). The average end user, even in businesses today, buys from Walmart or from manufacturers like Dell -- the more mass-market lower-cost models available.

    These computers have lower-end CPUs and even if the microprocessors are dual-core they are lower-end dual core. Integrated graphic GPUs is the name of the game today for mass-market computers and simply put, they just don't perform like a decent discreet graphics card does.

    The Programming Paradox

    Programmers develop their software on the leading-edge computers, while end users consume their software on computers with likely one-quarter the performance of the developer's computer. This is the programming paradox. Hopefully most programmers have the sense to at least test their software on a low-end computer to make sure it runs well, but this still creates a problem. When the software does not run well, it is easy for a developer to say to himself: "That's what you get for having a cheap computer", rather than take a serious look at ways to improve performance in the software.

    The Solution, but You won't like It

    While I say this partly in jest, part of me wants to say this in all seriousness: Why not put away your computers, go to Walmart, buy the cheapest PCs you can find and make use them for the next few months. Let's see how well they do now.

    OK, be Realistic

    Most programmers will likely have a good laugh at the suggestion, chuckle and then move on. But guess what? I am partly serious. Not only can I suggest this, but I live by it. I have been developing a long time now (started in the 1980s), and I design and develop all my software on mass-market PCs. I do all my work on a low-end computer, with previous versions of Windows and then do my testing of the software on newer, faster, PCs with the more current operating system.

    When I tell other programmers this, they usually laugh, since most would not work this way. But I have done this for years, and it changes how you look at the software you develop. Performance becomes a key issue. Currently, I work on a Windows XP computer, with a 2.5 GHz Celeron CPU and 768MB RAM.

    I then test my software on my Windows 7 (and Windows 8 beta) computers. But even the more current computers I have are not leading edge. They are in the mass-market catagory. Now I did add some 3D graphic cards to two computers recently (Windows 7, Vista Home Basic/Windows 8) so I can test some OpenGL 3D stuff I have been working on, but even there I only purchased as inexpensive a 3D card I could find. Both were in the $50 range (normal retail price), so they are very low-end graphic cards.

    Why? Really! Why?

    Developing software, especially if you lean towards a more agile style of development, is something where you do a lot of coding, compiling, running and testing -- and continue this over and over again. I need to know how my software will run on the average computer immediately, not after some development time and later testing on a low end computer.

    I feel that if my software runs well on a low-end computer , then guess what happens when it is run on better computers by end users. Simply put, "it flies" -- "fast and fluid" or what ever you want to call it. If a programmer spends a day working on their software, with a high end computer and then only tests it at the end of the day on the low end, mass market computer, it is much more difficult to go back and find what slows things down.

    The Lesson

    While I honestly don't expect most programmers to work the way I do (I am realistic), there is a lesson in this, which may benefit them.

    Performance in software has a great deal to do with the mindset of the programmer developing it. Can developers put themselves into the shoes of those who will use their software? Even the choices we make in how (and on what computers) we develop the software can make a big difference. Performance should not be an afterthought, but instead needs to be a mindset.

    Photo Credit: trekandshoot/Shutterstock

    Chris Boss is an advanced Windows API programmer and developer of 10 year-old EZGUI, which is now version 5. He owns The Computer Workshop, which opened for businesses in the late 1980s. He originally developed custom software for local businesses. Now he develops programming tools for use with the PowerBasic compiler.

  • Permalink for 'Canadians prefer BlackBerry, Kobo -- Americans favor Android, Kindle'

    Canadians prefer BlackBerry, Kobo -- Americans favor Android, Kindle

    Posted: April 20th, 2012, 1:50pm MDT by Tim Conneally

    Lightspring/Shutterstock

    This week, marketing research firm Ipsos published the latest edition of the Ipsos Reid’s Mobil-ology focusing on Canada's mobile device market. According to the data (collected for six months between August 2011 and January 2012), the Canadian mobile device market has shown continuous growth across the smartphone, tablet, and e-reader categories, putting it very close to the United States despite different brand preferences among consumers.

    Here's a blow-by-blow look at how the Canadian device market differs from the United States according to Ipsos Reid's data.

    Overall Smartphone penetration:

    US: 48%
    Canada: 34%

    (U.S. data source: Nielsen, Feb. 12)

    Overall Tablet penetration:

    US: 19%
    Canada: 10% (Jan 2012)

    (U.S. data source: Pew Research, Jan. 2012)

    Overall E-reader penetration:

    US: 19%
    Canada: 10%

    (U.S. data source: Pew Research, Jan. 2012)

    These figures show just how close the U.S. and Canada are when it comes to absolute prevalence of mobile technology. However, the brand preferences are where there are major differences.

    Smartphone Market Leaders:

    US:

    Android 50.1%,
    iPhone 30.2%,
    BlackBerry 13.4%

    Canada:

    BlackBerry 33%,
    Android 31%,
    iPhone 28%

    (U.S. data source: comScore, April 2012)

    BlackBerry’s total market penetration shrank by eight percent, while both Android and Apple penetration grew five percent respectively.

    Though BlackBerry remains the smartphone of choice for Canadians, Research in Motion's market share is rapidly dropping and so is its appeal to consumers. In January 2011, 58 percent of those surveyed said they intended to purchase a BlackBerry as their next smartphone. By January 2012, that number had fallen to 40 percent. Ipsos found that Canadian customers are increasingly favoring Samsung's Android smartphones, with 32 percent saying their next smartphone would be coming from the market-leading consumer electronics company.

    Tablet Market Leaders:

    US: iPad 57.6%
    Canada: iPad 47%

    (U.S. data source: comScore, April 2012)" target="_blank">Strategy Analytics, Jan 2012.)

    It should be no surprise that the iPad dominates this category. However, the market share it claimed in 2012 was down a shocking 31 percent from the previous year because of new competitors who entered the market. Ipsos cited the BlackBerry Playbook as one such competitor, but did not reveal how much market share that device actually grabbed.

    E-Book/Reader Market Leaders:

    US:

    Kindle 70%,
    Nook 27%,
    Other 3%

    Canada:

    Kobo 46%,
    Kindle 24%,
    Sony eReader 18%

    (U.S. data source: Publishers Weekly, Jan 2012)

    This is an increasingly difficult device market to classify as each subsequent generation of e-reader turns more tablet-like, but one thing is clear. Kobo appears to be trouncing Kindle. Just one year ago, Ipsos found the Sony eReader, the Kobo, and Amazon Kindle to be virtually tied for market penetration at 28%, 27% and 25% respectively. But in 2012, Sony slipped a massive 15 percentage points while Kindle also slipped by one, and Kobo grew by 18 percent.

    At the trailing end of 2011, Kobo introduced its answer to the Kindle Fire, called the Kobo Vox, an Android-powered e-reader/tablet that retails for $199. But the major boon for Kobo has been its exclusive partnership with Indigo books, Canada's largest book retailer, and the third largest book retailer in all of North America.

    Flag design: Lightspring/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Windows Phone holds back Nokia?'

    Windows Phone holds back Nokia?

    Posted: April 20th, 2012, 1:24pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    That's the sentiment expressed by a commenter to an exciting promotional video Nokia uploaded to YouTube today. The Finnish handset maker shot the promo using the new Nokia 808 PureView, which sports 41-megapixel camera. The comment: "This is true Nokia innovation. Windows Phone is just holding them back". My question: Do you agree with either or both sentiments?

    I'm a big Nokia fan, who relished the benefits of great camera capabilities long before iPhone even had a crappy one. I've owned E71, N79, two different N95s, N96, N97 and N900. Nokia's N Series set the standard for mobile phone photography that most rivals have yet to catch up -- and that includes the N8 and N9, which capabilities should shame every iPhone 4/4S photographer. I clamor for Nokia 808 PureView but won't buy one. Symbian holds me back, or perhaps I should say Windows Phone. Compelling as the smartphone may be, Symbian is a dead end. Windows Phone is Nokia's primary mobile OS now.

    Not in This Universe

    Perhaps in an alternate universe, Nokia stuck with Symbian and set out to reinvigorate the brand with 808 Purview and smartphones like it. As truly innovative design, the handset outclasses every Windows Phone Nokia sells, including flagship Lumia 900.

    808 PureView key features: 4-inch AMOLED screen (Gorilla Glass); 16GB storage, expandable to 48GB with microSD card; 41MP camera with Xenon flash and f/2.4 Carl Zeiss lens; HSPA+ (up to 14Mbps), WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100, GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900; WiFi N; Bluetooth 3; GPS; Near Field Communications; FM transmitter; 1400 mAh battery; and Symbian Belle Feature Pack 1.

    Lumia 900 key features: 4.3-inch AMOLED display (Gorilla Glass); 16GB storage: 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with Carl Zeiss lens and dual-LED flash; 1MP front-facing camera; 720p video capture from rear camera and VGA from front camera; GSM 850/900/1800/1900 radio; WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100 radio; 4G LTE; Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; Stereo Bluetooth; WiFi; 1830 mAh battery; and Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango" Commercial Release 2.

    PureView is the brand Nokia should spend tens of millions to promote, rather than Lumia 900. But Symbian is going nowhere fast, so PureView instead puts a fitting end to Nokia's smart Symbian cameraphone heritage. Of course, PureView isn't dead. The technology, and hopefully the brand, is destined for Windows Phone one day.

    808 Purview joins N9 as a truly compelling smartphone few people will buy. Why should they? There are no compelling future applications or services given Symbian's death sentence. Both phones should have anchored Nokia's brand revival. Instead, resources dedicated to the Windows Phone transition hold back the kind of marketing Nokia is renown for -- well, that is outside the United States.

    Proud Legacy

    Americans are cheated that way. Lumia 900 commercials are poor introduction to Nokia marketing, which is unusual for high-tech companies by emphasizing benefits over features and doing so with taste and humor. Nokia also launched many, successful viral marketing campaigns before social was in vogue -- grass-roots contests, too.

    The video above is one among many shot with a Nokia smartphone. The company has long promoted its phone by shooting videos with them. A favorite marketing campaign, which looks dated in the YouTube HD era: Jealous Computers, promoting N95 in 2007. Amazingly, the marketing website is still live. Quick! Get there before Nokia CEO Stephen Elop orders it dismantled!

    Nokia's N95 campaign was post-PC before anyone really talked about the concept. The handset maker positioned N95 as a computer in your pocket. In the videos, shot with the cameraphone, jealous computers attack N95 owners.

    Yesterday, following Nokia's dismal first quarter earnings results -- smart device sales declined 52 percent year over year -- colleague Ed Oswald and I took opposite sides. I wrote: "Nokia does the Windows Phone death dance". Ed opined: "Nokia's short-term pain is the result of long term problems".

    Windows Phone is a pleasing operating system that looks and feels different from anything else available today. Now if only Nokia hardware could do for Microsoft's OS what it did for Symbian. Soon.

  • Permalink for 'RIAA's Waterloo? Anonymous Looks to set streaming music free'

    RIAA's Waterloo? Anonymous Looks to set streaming music free

    Posted: April 20th, 2012, 12:53pm MDT by Ed Oswald

    Streaming music content is too restrictive, believes hacktivists Anonymous. Six members of the group have released Anontune, a web-based application that aims to aggregate streaming music online and place it in a central location. AnonTune currently accesses the catalogs of YouTube and SoundCloud, although the developers plan to add content from other services including Yahoo Music, Myspace Music, Bandcamp and others in the future.

    True to the groups name, users will be able to listen to tracks anonymously, and Anonymous itself will not store the tracks. Instead it depends on the catalogs of the services it aggregates, thus leaving the sticky copyright issues to those sites. Recording Industry Association of America's Waterloo, indeed. The next one, if Napster wasn't enough a computing generation ago.

    "The legal responsibility for ensuring its removal is in the hands of these services, not Anontune", the developers say in a whitepaper released this week. "Anontune will include the means to interact with multiple music networks on one platform".

    Users will be able to search for music and create playlists based on what is available through Anontune's sources. While the user interface leaves a lot to be desired, and often you'll not get the music video itself but rather whatever result Anontune's "music engine" finds first, it certainly is a start.

    Anontune provides an answer to a sometimes frustrating problem. One streaming service may have the track available, but another not. As it stands now you're forced to bounce from site to site to find what you need. There's no one-stop shop to search and play these videos (Google's video search comes close). These six hackers believe Anontune is the solution that will answer that need, and will in turn set streaming music free.

    Make no mistake, this is not necessarily bad news for RIAA, as it may actually serve the group's interest. Anontune could pull music off of officially sanctioned channels, such as Vevo's (it already does), and exclusively stream content from these sources. There would be no grounds for RIAA's displeasure as Anonymous is distributing content that its own members have given their blessing to.

    There's something to be said about Anonymous pulling in the seedier stuff as well. I cannot tell you how many times I've found a hard to find track on YouTube that is next to impossible to find through legit services. The 100 percent legal method doesn't work every time.

    We couldn't get RIAA to comment on Anonymous' moves as of press time.

    One final point: some may find Anonymous' use of Java to power the site a little unsettling considering the many security issues the platform has had over the years. If you're truly worried about its security, I'd recommend running Anontune on a virtual machine until someone goes over this with a fine-toothed comb.

    Anonymous says this is not necessary, though. "Why the hell would we harm our users? That would really be a little counter-intuitive to our cause, correct?" it says, adding the media is crying wolf here. Call me crazy, but the "causes" have led to some improper behavior in the past. Until proven wrong, I'm still skeptical.

    What do you think of Anontune? Does it have promise? Do you trust Anonymous to "set music free"? Let us know in the comments.

  • Permalink for 'Trashed something you want to keep? EaseUS Mac Undelete 5.5.1 can help'

    Trashed something you want to keep? EaseUS Mac Undelete 5.5.1 can help

    Posted: April 20th, 2012, 11:39am MDT by Nick Peers

    Data recovery used to be an incredibly expensive business, but these days you can often recover accidentally deleted data without having to bankrupt yourself in the process. And if you’re a Mac user, the good news is that you might even be able to recover irreplaceable files and folders from your hard drive for free.

    Chinese software manufacturer EaseUS has just released a second freeware data recovery tool for Mac users. Hot on the heels of its free image recovery app, EaseUS Mac Photo Recovery Free comes a general purpose tool, aptly titled EaseUS Mac Undelete 5.5.1.

    As the name implies, EaseUS Mac Undelete is a tool that can recover deleted files only. That means if you’re looking for data on a formatted or corrupt drive, you’ll need to look elsewhere (EaseUS would like you to upgrade to its paid-for product, Mac Data Recovery Wizard, for one).

    If, however, you’ve recently deleted a file or folder, or emptied the trash, then EaseUS Mac Undelete could prove to be a lifesaver without breaking the bank. The best time to install it, of course, is now, before you lose any data as one of the golden rules of data recovery is to stop writing data to the drive you’re trying to recover from.

    The app is incredibly simple to use: click Undelete, select your drive and let the program quickly scan for recoverable files. Then browse the folders for your missing file, preview the results and then tick those files or folders you wish to rescue. Click Recover, select another drive to save the files to and – hey presto – you might just have saved yourself a fortune in expensive data recovery (or divorce) fees.

    EaseUS Mac Undelete 5.5.1 is a freeware download for Macs running OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or later.

    Photo Credit: Pavel Ignatov/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'As many as 100,000 WordPress blogs infected 700,000 Macs with malware'

    As many as 100,000 WordPress blogs infected 700,000 Macs with malware

    Posted: April 20th, 2012, 9:35am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    If computer security is your thing -- it really should be everyone's -- and you own a Mac, Kaspersky's analysis of Flashfake malware, also called Flashback, is a must-read. Gasp, this is only part one. There's more to come from the security software developer.

    Flashfake's success -- Kaspersky raises the number of infected Macs to 700,000 from previous 600,000 estimates -- is bigger than the obvious conclusion Apple computers aren't safe havens from cybercriminals. Late last week, Apple released a Flashfake removal tool that contrary to earlier reports failed to substantially reduce the botnet. But as many as 100,000 infected WordPress blogs, the majority in the United States, lay in wait for unpatched Macs or even a Flashfake variant that unleashes another outbreak. Like last year's MacDefender outbreak, cybercriminals used tactics tried and proven against Windows users.

    Drive-by Downloads

    Before March, Flashfake bothered few Mac users because the attack vector was largely social engineering. All that changed thanks in part to current Apple security policies. Flashback exploits a Java vulnerability that Apple could have patched sooner but didn't.

    Last week I praised Apple for disabling the Java plug-in with the most recent update. Now I'm not so sure, since in context of Alexander Gostev's analysis Apple really covers its ass more than protects Mac users. That's because "Apple never uses patches from Oracle and creates its own patches to close Java vulnerabilities", he explains. Oracle patched the vulnerability in February, while Apple got round to it in April. "This practice of releasing patches with delays of about two months is traditional for Apple".

    Apple's Lion security page claims: "OS X has you covered...With virtually no effort on your part, OS X offers a multilayered system of defenses against viruses and other malicious applications, or malware". OS X hasn't got you covered, if Apple doesn't take readily available Java patches, waiting to produce its own instead. The adage Apple's way or the highway will get you run down.

    Gostev, who heads Kaspersky's Global Research and Analysis Team, explains what happened next:

    In order to spread Flashfake in March 2012, its authors made use of a cybercriminal partner program that appears to be of Russian origin. The partner program was based on script redirects from huge numbers of legitimate websites all over the world. Around the end of February/early March 2012, tens of thousands of sites powered by WordPress were compromised. How this happened is unclear. The main theories are that bloggers were using vulnerable versions of WordPress or they had installed the ToolsPack plugin. Websense put the number of affected sites at 30,000, while other companies say the figure could be as high as 100,000. Approximately 85 percent of the compromised blogs are located in the US.

    Gostev continues:

    Code was injected into the main pages when the blogs were hacked...As a result, when any of the compromised sites were visited, a partner program TDS was contacted. Depending on the operating system and browser version, the browser then performed a hidden redirect to sites in the rr.nu domain zone that had the appropriate set of exploits installed on them to carry out an infection.

    He goes on to describe in detail the process of infection, which I encourage reading over your late-morning coffee and bagel (breakfast sandwich or cinnamon roll). But the main point is this: Drive-by download spread malicious code -- something users of older Windows versions see but is much, much less common on Vista or 7. Mac Defender, which largely spread by SEO poisoning, used similar infection tactic.

    People Problems

    There has been much buzz this week about there being more Mac malware or increasing vulnerabilities in OS X. That's BS. OS X and Windows 7 are both fairly hardened operating systems. Flashback's success spotlights people problems instead:

    1. Apple's response is inadequate. The company doesn't patch vulnerabilities fast enough, as both Flashback and Mac Defender demonstrate. Meanwhile Apple doesn't disclose enough information to end users. To both outbreaks, Apple either failed to acknowledge a security problem existed or waited too long doing so.

    2. OS X marketing creates a false sense of security among Mac users. Apple propagates the myth Macs are safe from malware with statements like "OS X has you covered" or "OS X doesn't get PC viruses". Better security is one reason many people switch to the Mac, where they're lulled into believing they're safe. Meanwhile long-time Mac users already are believers.

    3. Most Mac users don't use anti-malware. That's the finding of BetaNews polls conducted in May 2011 and earlier this month. Seventy-four precent of respondents say they do not have anti-malware software installed on their primary Mac. Ninety-two percent of Windows users do. If Apple isn't adequately protecting Mac users, they need to look after themselves. They don't.

    4. Half of new Mac users come from Windows. From where is the Mac install base growing? Windows users. Apple executives consistently say that half of Mac buyers are Windows users. As both malware outbreaks demonstrate, the same social engineering techniques common to Windows PCs are used. Windows users bring bad habits to the Mac, which Flashback and Mac Defender show can be exploited as easily on Apple computers as Windows PCs. Those habits are deadly for users lulled into a sense of safety and not using anti-malware.

    Editors Note: After posting, Dr. Web released startling new data that shows Flashback still infects more than 500,000 Macs. That following release of Apple's tool for removing the Trojan.

    Photo Credit: Julien Tromeur/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Enigma Virtual Box turns complex applications into portable, single executables'

    Enigma Virtual Box turns complex applications into portable, single executables

    Posted: April 20th, 2012, 7:52am MDT by Mike Williams

    The typical large application will have a rather complex structure. There might be DLLs, OCXs and other executable components, data files and more, all scattered across a potentially very large number of subfolders: not necessarily very convenient.

    But it doesn’t have to be that way. Point Enigma Virtual Box at an application and it’s able to combine all the program’s components and data files into a single module. This is compressed, so can greatly reduce the disk space required for a program. And if you’re a software developer, then the process does a very good job of protecting your components from misuse. (The files are unpacked in RAM, never written to disc, so it becomes much more difficult for others to take your DLLs, OCXs, images, audio files and any other elements of your application.)

    This is a surprisingly easy process to set up, too. As a test, we pointed Enigma Virtual Box at an ancient copy of Paint Shop Pro (the executable does some odd things so we knew that if this worked, anything should). Really all this involved was pointing the program at the Paint Shop Pro executable file, providing a folder where the combined executable would be stored, and that was it: Enigma Virtual Box took care of everything else itself.

    When it was done, we launched the new “Paint Shop Pro_boxed.exe” executable (a chunky 330MB in size, rather than the 5.6MB of the original build).

    And it ran and worked just fine, no problems at all. Initialization was a fraction slower than usual, understandable as the executable had to unpack its compressed components, but this wasn’t slow enough to be a particular concern. And in the main the program just worked as it always did, without any real issues.

    Other packages compressed just as effectively. And if you need to get more advanced then the program does have more abilities you can call on. In particular, it’s even able to set up Registry virtualization, which in principle means you’re able to make a regular application portable by having it write only to its own local Registry copy.

    Enigma Virtual Box is aimed at developers, then, and it’s easy to see why: this is a very easy way to prevent others from being able to grab or hack the components of any given application.

    But the ability to turn complex applications into portable, single executables could be useful in many situations, and in reality the program could come in handy for any experienced PC user.

    Photo Credit: S.john/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'TweakNow HD-Analyzer reclaims hard drive space'

    TweakNow HD-Analyzer reclaims hard drive space

    Posted: April 20th, 2012, 6:00am MDT by Mark Wilson

    Have you ever wondered where all of the space of your multi-gigabyte, or even terabyte, drive has disappeared to? The voluminous hard drive you installed a year ago seemed like it would last you forever filled up all too quickly. While there’s nothing to stop you from manually working your way through the contents to determine what could be removed to free up space, TweakNow HD-Analyzer is a free tool that could make the decision-making a little easier.

    If you are running short of space, perhaps before starting a video editing project or something else similarly space-hungry, it makes sense to home in on the files and programs that are currently occupying the most space. This is something that TweakNow HD-Analyzer can help you with, performing and in-depth analysis of your hard drive and highlighting the largest files and folders so you can easy delete them or move them to an alternate location.

    Scan results are ordered so that not only are the largest files listed at the top of the information panel, but a bar chart system is used to give a visual idea of how much space is being used. That’s really all there is to the app -- it is a simple yet effective tool for tracking down the megabyte munching files that you may want to remove. In a matter of moments you can track down the largest files or discover which of the programs you have installed are occupying space you could be put to better use.

    If you want to get a little more hands-on with the program, there are options that open up possibilities. You may only be interested in weeding out the largest video or audio files that you have stored on your hard drive. It is possible to specify which files types should be recognized by TweakNow HD-Analyzer so that these types of file are highlighted in the results list.

    You can find out and download a copy of this free tool by paying a visit to the TweakNow HD-Analyzer review page.

    Zadorozhnyi Viktor/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Easy Clean better protects, connects to F-Secure cloud'

    Easy Clean better protects, connects to F-Secure cloud

    Posted: April 20th, 2012, 4:30am MDT by Mike Williams

    F-Secure has released an updated version of its stand-alone antivirus detector, Easy Clean.

    The new build is smaller than previous releases at under 4MB. You can scan your system just by launching the executable; no installation is required. But most usefully, Easy Clean now contacts F-Secure’s cloud-based servers to obtain details about the very latest threats, so there’s no need for it to download regular updates. (Although, of course, this does also mean that you now must have a fully functional Internet connection for Easy Clean to be of any use.)

    There are, of course, plenty of similar tools around that promise to offer a similar second line of antivirus defence. And you may prefer these for multiple reasons. Easy Clean only appears to do a relatively quick scan of running processes, for instance; if you’re trying to hunt down a really stubborn infection then you may prefer something which offers a more thorough and complete system scan.

    Still, Easy Clean is very fast, exceptionally easy to use, and in our tests was able to complete its scans without conflicting with our installed security package. If you’re looking for a very simple stand-alone malware detector then give the program a try, it may be just what you need.

    Photo Credit: Sergii Korolko/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Microsoft Q3 2012 by the numbers: $17B revenue, 60 cents EPS'

    Microsoft Q3 2012 by the numbers: $17B revenue, 60 cents EPS

    Posted: April 19th, 2012, 2:03pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Late this afternoon, after the closing bell, Microsoft revealed results for one of its most uncertain quarters in years. That's because Gartner and IDC report tepid PC shipments and Microsoft prepares to launch a horde of new products later this year, including new versions of Office, Windows and Windows Server, among others. Sometimes sales sag in the quarter or two before new product releases -- and for 2012 there are many core ones coming.

    "With the upcoming release of new Windows 8 PCs and tablets, the next version of Office, and a wide array of products and services for the enterprise and consumers, we will be delivering exceptional value to all our customers in the year ahead", Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says.

    Perhaps businesses share Ballmer's enthusiasm and aren't backing off purchases, particularly those looking to lock in Software Assurance upgrades. For fiscal Q3, ended March 31, Microsoft revenue was $17.41 billion, up 6 percent year over year. Operating income: $6.37 billion, a 12 percent increase. Net income was $5.11 billion, or 60 cents a share -- that's down from $5.23 billion and 61 cents a share a year earlier. However, in the year-ago quarter, Microsoft received a settlement from the IRS that boosted EPS by 5 cents. Removing this one-time event, EPS rose by 7 percent.

    Average analyst consensus was $17.18 billion revenue and 58 cents earnings per share, for the quarter. Revenue estimates ranged from $16.61 billion to $17.46 billion, with estimated year-over-year growth of 4.6 percent. By both measures, Microsoft beat the Street.

    Q3 2012 Revenue by Division

    • Windows & Windows Live: $4.62 billion, up 4 percent from $4.45 billion a year earlier.
    • Server & Tools: $4.6 billion, up 14 percent from $4.1 billion a year earlier.
    • Business: $5.81 billion, up 9 percent from $5.33 billion a year earlier.
    • Online Services Business: $707 million, up 6 percent from $667 million a year earlier.
    • Entertainment & Devices: $1.6 billion, down 16 percent from $1.94 billion a year earlier.

    Q3 2012 Income by Division

    • Windows & Windows Live: $2.95 billion, up 6 percent from $2.8 billion a year earlier.
    • Server & Tools: $1.74 billion, up 29 percent from $1.35 billion a year earlier.
    • Business: $3.77 billion, up 14 percent from $3.31 billion a year earlier.
    • Online Services Business: Loss of $479 million, up 38 percent from $776 million loss a year earlier.
    • Entertainment & Devices: $229 million loss compared to 210 million profit a year earlier.

    Whither Windows

    Laggard PC shipments weighed on Microsoft, which isn't surprising given the continued distraction smartphones and tablets cause consumers -- and that includes those bringing personal devices to work. Still, Windows and Windows Live division revenue grew 4 percent year over year and income by 6 percent (after falling 6 percent and 11 percent, respectively, in fiscal Q2).

    IDC puts first calendar quarter year-over-year PC shipment growth at 2.3 percent, but only 1.9 percent by Gartner's estimates.

    "The consumer segment continued to be a drag on market growth, as PC demand was low", Mikako Kitagawa, Gartner principal analyst, says. The analyst firm again highlights smartphones and tablets as leaders among those "other devices".

    "Slow growth in the US shows that despite interesting and new form factors like all-in-one (AIO) desktop PCs and Ultrabook-class notebook PCs, the market remains conservative and focused on replacements", Loren Loverde, IDC vice president, says. Replacements don't just refer to necessary PC upgrades but tablets being used to supplement existing PCs. The devices replace behavior rather than the older computer.

    Still, both analysts expressed optimism for the holidays. "We expect PC shipments to pick up significantly by the fourth quarter and beyond as HDD supply and pricing are normalized, Windows 8 is launched, and replacements pick up", Loverde says. But "the US PC market is likely to remain constrained at least until the launch of Windows 8, which is expected in the fourth quarter of 2012".

    The future looks interesting, as Microsoft prepares its increasingly aggressive response to iPad. Yesterday, the company disclosed Windows 8 Enterprise feature and licensing benefits -- and nearly all relate to mobility or mobile devices. They also tip how much emphasis Microsoft will place on Windows RT, which runs on ARM processors and is queued for tablets.

    Two Software Assurance benefits stand out: Extended Virtual Desktop rights for Windows RT devices and extended rights for companion devices.

    "So that means that WinRT devices, when used by someone with a PC covered by SA, are automatically given the same virtualization rights as the PC itself, notably the right to access a remote instance of Windows running in a VM (a VDI scenario)", Paul DeGroot, president of Pica Communications, tells me today.

    "If you have something other than a WinRT device you have to pay more", he continues. "As with the WinRT device, you need SA on the PC; but after that you still need to purchase a Companion Device License for Windows SA. However, this license will cover up to four devices, like your iPhone, iPad, and home PC or Mac.

    DeGroot emphasizes: "Overall, I'd rate this as an improvement over the old SA Roaming Rights, which were useless to most people, but this is a case where MS is clearly giving WinRT an advantage over the competition".

    Division Highlights

    Microsoft reports revenue and earnings results for five divisons: Windows & Windows Live, Server & Tools, Business, Online Services and Entertainment & Devices.

    Windows & Windows Live. Strong demand among businesses helped the division to overcome the effects of weaker than-expected PC demand. Revenue rose by 4 percent year over year, and operating income by 6 percent.

    Microsoft estimates that global PC sales to businesses grew 8 percent, but were flat among consumers. However, when removing continued, steep netbook sales declines, consumer PCs actually rose 6 percent. Together, Microsoft estimates that PC sales grew by 2 percent and 4 percent, which is stronger than either Gartner or IDC estimates.

    More granularly, like other recent quarters, OEMs accounted for 75 percent of Windows sales. Despite the increase in sales to businesses, the mix was only 33 percent to them but 41 percent to consumers. OEM revenue grew by 4 percent.

    Looking ahead to fiscal fourth quarter, Microsoft is cautious about negative market dynamics, but expects business PC sales to continue growing.

    The company estimates that Windows 7 is deployed on 40 percent of enterprise desktops.

    Server & Tools. Revenue rose 14 percent year over year and operating income by 29 percent, delivering a simply stunning quarter. The division is insulated against economic maladies, because about 50 percent of revenues come from contractual volume-licensing agreements.

    "Product revenue increased $396 million or 12%, driven primarily by growth in SQL Server, Windows Server, and System Center, reflecting continued adoption of Windows platform applications.", according to the company's 10-Q filing.

    Looking ahead to fiscal Q4, Microsoft expects volume-license sales to grow in the high teens.

    Business. The division was the quarter's big overall performer (again); revenue rose 9 percent and income by 14 percent year over year.

    Annuity licensing continued to lift sales, an ongoing trend. "MBD revenue increased primarily reflecting sales of the 2010 Microsoft Office system. Business revenue increased $469 million or 11 percent, primarily reflecting growth in multi-year volume licensing revenue, licensing of the 2010 Microsoft Office system to transactional business customers, and an 11 percent increase in Microsoft Dynamics revenue. Consumer revenue increased $16 million or 2 percent due mainly to increased sales of the 2010 Microsoft Office system", according to the company.

    More numbers: Multi-year license revenue grew by 13 percent, Dynamics CRM by 30 percent and Lync by 35 percent.

    Like Server & Tools, Business division is largely insulated against sluggish PC sales. Sixty percent of revenue comes from annuity licensing to businesses.

    Looking ahead to fiscal fourth quarter, Microsoft expects double-digit volume-license growth.

    Online Services Business. Online services revenue rose by 6 percent, while the operating loss decreased by 38 percent. Search and display ads drove up online advertising revenue by 9 percent -- $51 million to $639 million. "OSD operating loss decreased due to higher revenue and lower cost of revenue and sales and marketing expenses.", according to the 10-Q.

    Looking ahead to fiscal Q4, Microsoft expects continued improvements.

    Entertainment & Devices.  Revenue fell by 16 percent. Microsoft shipped 1.4 million Xboxes during the quarter -- a 1.3 million-unit decline from a year earlier. Xbox revenue fell 33 percent, or $584 million.

    There were -- get this -- 100 billion minutes of Skype calls -- up 40 percent year over year.

    Looking ahead to fiscal Q4, Microsoft expects double-digit revenue growth.

    Photo Credit: Microsoft

  • Permalink for 'AppSense's DataNow answers demand for corporate cloud file sharing'

    AppSense's DataNow answers demand for corporate cloud file sharing

    Posted: April 19th, 2012, 1:25pm MDT by Ed Oswald

    Aiming to become the Dropbox of the enterprise, New York City-based AppSense has introduced DataNow, a cloud-based service aimed at giving companies a method to securely share documents across multiple platforms. The company says that its solution lessens the risk of the loss of sensitive information.

    File sharing services like Dropbox have already been in the news for just that. Like Facebook and Draw Something, Dropbox has been found to store access tokens in plain text. Last June, a flaw in the software allowed anybody to log in to any account with any password. In the corporate world, such a breach is possibly devastating.

    AppSense looks at corporate file sharing in the cloud differently. Unlike the more consumer-centric services, DataNow stores the data in a private cloud within the enterprise's own IT environment using a virtual appliance created to enable the flow of data.

    This prevents sensitive files from being stored in a potentially insecure environment, and dramatically reduces the chances of a breach. It also gives the enterprise greater control over what their users can share, and how they share it.

    "IT Managers have deep investments in their existing storage systems in terms of architecture, capacity, and security", says chief technology officer Harry Labana. "It makes sense to leverage these investments first to empower users now, and introduce cloud-based storage systems as they mature and meet corporate IT requirements".

    Users share files to their mobile devices by dragging files to the DataNow application, which is available for both Windows and Mac OS. These files are then accessible from authorized mobile devices on either the iOS or Android platforms, as well as any additional desktop platforms the user may have. IT administrators have the capability to develop specific policy controls for data usage, including the capability to restrict local caching or the power to remote wipe in the event of data loss.

    Enterprise file-sharing has become hot, but most employ a similar strategy to Dropbox. AppSense competitor Vaultize on Thursday introduced its own file-sharing solution, which encrypts data both at the source and in the cloud to protect it from theft, however the standard offering uses RackSpace hosting. Options are available for private or hybrid deployments, although it is not standard.

    AppSense is currently accepting beta applications to test the DataNow product. IT environments will need virtualization capability in order to run DataNow's Intelligent Data Broker and an accessible Microsoft Active Directory domain controller.

    The company did not give details on final availability of the product nor its price. A call to AppSense for comment was outstanding as of press time.

    Photo Credit: Yabresse/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Spotify for Android Ice Cream Sandwich launches in beta'

    Spotify for Android Ice Cream Sandwich launches in beta

    Posted: April 19th, 2012, 10:15am MDT by Tim Conneally


    Popular music streaming service Spotify has rolled out a beta of its first Android app optimized for devices running Ice Cream Sandwich.

    The most current version of the app, available in Google Play, was built for Android Gingerbread, and no version was released for Honeycomb. Google Play says the Gingerbread version is compatible with Ice Cream Sandwich devices, but this is not strictly true, and installing the Gingerbread version didn't guarantee local playback or playlisting, so this beta is a ramp-up to a significant release for Spotify.

    That being said, this beta is not yet available in Google Play and must be downloaded directly from Spotify. They're looking for your feedback, so you know what to do.

    This version has a completely revised user interface that follows the ICS design ethic, with a navigation button in the upper left hand corner that opens the menu of different views. Navigation speed has been significantly tweaked and poking around the app is swift and responsive. An impressive display of how quickly Spotify responds can be seen if you happen to be playing a track on your desktop app, and you click play on your smartphone app. The desktop's playback is instantly paused when the music starts on your phone, which is also instant.


    The ability to browse "related artists" and other user profiles and playlists has been added, both of which were previously missing. A few more features have not yet been added, but are supposed to be on the way before the app launches in Google Play, including folders and Last.fm scrobbling.

  • Permalink for 'Nokia's short-term pain is the result of long-term problems'

    Nokia's short-term pain is the result of long-term problems

    Posted: April 19th, 2012, 10:10am MDT by Ed Oswald

    Point. It's always fun to point the blame at someone, and everyone loves to blame CEO Stephen Elop for Nokia's woes. As the Finnish phone manufacturer began to burn, Elop came aboard and made a deal with his former employer, Microsoft, to adopt the Windows Phone platform. Pundits thought he was insane, and have criticized him repeatedly for the move.

    These criticisms grow louder as Nokia reports a $1.3 billion euro ($1.76 billion) loss in the first quarter of 2012. According to the financial statements, the company burned through 700 million euros in cash during the same quarter, and has a little under five billion euros in cash left. The company may face bankruptcy in two years.

    What's to blame? Poor phone sales. Device revenues plummeted 29 percent year-over-year. Smartphone revenues were cut in half, while sales in feature phones fell a third. The launch of the Lumia 900 was just two weeks ago, so it's still too early to judge if that device was able to stop the bleeding.

    Cue The Windows Phone Haters

    But there's one thing that I'd like to stress here: criticizing Elop once again over Windows Phone after these results is foolish: one Nokia Windows Phone existed in the first quarter of this year. How can we call this a success or failure yet?

    Elop can do nothing to change Nokia's position in the market. From the top, it gets pressure on smartphones through Apple's iPhone and a host of upper-end Android manufacturers. On the low end, budget featurephone makers like ZTE eat its lunch. Since Nokia has hands in both pots, growth on either end gives the company little wiggle room.

    To break out, Nokia had to do something drastic. Releasing an Android device wouldn't make much sense: Nokia's devices would be competing with established players like Motorola and Samsung. Renewing focus on the low end was equally unwise: while the market remains large, it is contracting as more consumers choose to move up to smartphones.

    What was left? Windows Phone. The adoption of the platform (and a partnership with Microsoft) gives Nokia two advantages. First, it cements position early as a leader on the platform. Second, it enables Nokia to produce stand-out devices and rebuild reputation.

    I'm Not Dead Yet

    The strategy paid off: the Lumia 900 is Windows Phone's top selling device to date, and has received generally positive reviews. Nokia placed itself back in the forefront by making a gamble. There was no path forward for the company without some short-term pain.

    Doing nothing is no answer. Featurephones are a dying breed, and would result in a slower but inevitable death. Sticking around with Symbian is equally foolish: third-party support for the platform is dwindling, and development requirements sucked away precious resources that Nokia increasingly does not have.

    Can and should Nokia eventually adopt Android? Of course, and such a move is wise as few manufacturers depend on a single platform. But first, Nokia needs to reestablish its brand, and Windows Phone is helping to do just that.

    That said, Nokia must solidify its position in the featurephone market once again. Yes, I did say the market is dying earlier, but the high-volume nature will at least generate revenue for Nokia in the short term as it restructures its smartphone strategy. Elop says this is a focus during the current quarter, and I tend to believe him.

    As CEO, Stephen Elop does shoulder the blame for the failures of his company. Windows Phone however is not the reason, and doesn't belong in the discussion at this point. Talk to me next quarter when Windows Phone plays a part in the bottom line -- maybe then I'll be willing to admit Nokia + Windows Phone was a failure.

    Right now, the jury's still out on that one.

    Editor's Note: Ed Oswald and Joe Wilcox wrote opposing positions about Nokia's Windows Phone strategy, independently today (we didn't want one directly responding to the other but to circumstances). Please read Joe's "Nokia does the Windows Phone death dance".

  • Permalink for 'Nokia does the Windows Phone death dance'

    Nokia does the Windows Phone death dance

    Posted: April 19th, 2012, 10:09am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Few high-tech companies have imploded like Nokia and at the strangest time. Typically, dominant companies get killed during transitions from where they rule to where they don't. Nokia is oddest exception, imploding during a major computing era shift that favors its core competency. Transition from the PC to the mobile device eras is underway -- to a market where Nokia was, until recently, share leader by huge margins. How low the mighty has fallen, and former Microsoft division president turned Nokia CEO Stephen Elop wields the missile codes that launched self-inflicted nuclear strikes.

    Today's Nokia earnings report is a disaster. It's radioactive fallout from Elop's decision to turn over the Finnish company's crown jewels to Microsoft. Elop sold Nokia's soul to his former masters, which I described at the time as a "silent takeover" of the company. Nokia needed new leadership, not new technology -- Elop's fundamental platform and cloud services switch -- to combat escalating Android and iOS competition. Before his tenure, Nokia did the right things, just in the wrong ways. Since taking the chief executive's seat in Autumn 2010, Elop has done the wrong things in all the right ways to destroy a once proud mobile device innovator.

    Elop's Nuclear Nightmare

    Companies are successful for many reasons. Leadership is among the most important. Good leaders inspire their underlings. They instill confidence among the loyal troops and raise their morale. Instead Elop disgraced all Nokia employees by showing absolutely no faith in them or the hugely successful mobile business their work produced. When justifying the Windows Phone switch, he called Symbian a "burning platform".

    In a long memo, Elop wrote: "I have learned that we are standing on a burning platform...We poured gasoline on our own burning platform...Nokia, our platform is burning". In business, perception is everything. Yet Elop contributed to the perception that the global leader in handsets and mobile operating systems was a failure. He fed the fire of hype burning behind Android and iPhone. If anyone lit Nokia's platform afire, it was Elop and his negative memo that spread more FUD -- fear, uncertainty and doubt -- about Nokia's future than any competitor ever could. Elop isn't the harbinger of positive change but negative perceptions.

    Then he chucked away the most successful mobile operating system on the planet -- with install base that dwarfed Android and iOS. The only thing burning about Symbian and planned successor Meego was the fire Elop set. He burned down the house -- no, he nuked the city -- in order to build anew.

    The extent of devastation is nowhere more apparent than Q1, the first full quarter of results after Nokia shipped the first handsets running Windows Phone. Smartphone sales boom everywhere else, globally rising 58 percent in 2011 to 472 million units, accounting for 31 percent of all handset sales, according to Gartner. There is huge market transition underway that rivals capitalize on. Look at Apple's 35.5 million iPhones sold in fourth quarter, by Gartner's reckoning.

    Lumia 'Sales Have Been Mixed'

    Today, Nokia revealed that Q1 sales plummeted by 29 percent, leading to a $1.76 billion loss. Sales fell 26 percent quarter-on-quarter, too. Device and services net sales plummet by a stunning 40 percent year over year and 29 percent sequentially. Other year-over year declines: smart devices, 52 percent; mobile phones, 32 percent.

    Nokia's Windows Phone transition is a major part of the problem, lessening demand for Symbian smartphones. First quarter global sales aren't available from analysts yet, but, according to Gartner, Symbian smartphone share fell to 11.7 percent from 32.3 percent in Q4 2011. The company that invented the smartphone, dropped from first to third place, behind Android and iOS, respectively.

    Today, Elop says the hard thing -- and he deserves credit for it: "Actual sales results have been mixed", referring to Lumia Windows Phones. That's a polite way of saying they suck. During fourth quarter, Microsoft mobile OS share fell from 3.4 percent to 1.9 percent, according to Gartner. First quarter numbers aren't available, but as the IDC chart above shows it's a trend.

    In February 2011 I warned: "Nokia will lose customers and market share. It's the inevitable consequence of such a massive operating system switch. Timing is terrible". That's not a rocket science conclusion. Android and iOS device sales soared and higher still later in 2011. Again mixing metaphors, it's like Elop called his race car to the pits during the Indianapolis 500 to change engines.

    Now he's desperate. "We have a clear sense of urgency to move our strategy forward even faster". Elop says -- and he should. But where was that urgency in early 2011, when he turned over platform development responsibility to Microsoft?

    Burning Down the Brand

    Nokia had much to build on before Elop nuked it. For starters the brand. Wireless analyst Tomi explains: "More people use a Nokia phone than drink a Coca Cola, than wear Levis's jeans, than tell time on a Timex watch, than wear Nike running shoes, than smoke Marlboro cigarettes, or write with a Bic pen". While Nokia's brand may not seem much to Americans, it's huge everywhere else, particularly Asia, Europe and Africa.

    "What was life like before Stephen Elop started to destroy the brand most widely spread on the planet?" Ahonen asks. Much better is the answer. While Nokia bled share before, the Windows Phone transition and Elop's performance opened an artery.

    Unquestionably, Nokia had problems before Elop joined the company. Smartphones like N97 couldn't compete with iPhone, cloud services proved to be clunky and developers fled for Android Market (now Google Play) and Apple's App Store. But these were fixable problems with leadership and even a few cloud and software acquisitions. Instead, Elop nuked this city in lieu of urban renewal.

    Nokia 808 PureView, announced in late February is sure sign of what the company could have done with Symbian. The truly innovative smartphone sports a 41-megapixel camera but not Windows Phone. So much good that was Nokia is now lost.

    I'm a big Nokia phone fan -- have been for years. I would be ecstatic to be proved wrong, to a year hence write a mea culpa story. But looking at how much worse off Nokia is today than 14 months ago, when Elop cut the Microsoft deal, the big Windows Phone turnaround is more Harry Potter magic than Albert Einstein Relativity.

    Editor's Note: Ed Oswald and Joe Wilcox wrote opposing positions about Nokia's Windows Phone strategy, independently today (we didn't want one directly responding to the other but to circumstances). Please read Ed's "Nokia's short-term pain is the result of long term problems".

    Photo Credit: andrea crisante/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Bypass cumbersome iOS settings with Bluetooth OnOff'

    Bypass cumbersome iOS settings with Bluetooth OnOff

    Posted: April 19th, 2012, 7:44am MDT by Mark Wilson

    Something that irritates many iOS users, and drives a large number of them to go as far as jailbreaking their phones and tablets, is the fact that Apple is so strict about what apps are able to do. The guidelines for getting into the App Store mean that it is not possible for any app to replicate an existing feature of iOS, nor access system settings in any way that Apple deems inappropriate. Despite this, Bluetooth OnOff has found its way in to the App Store, providing easy access to Bluetooth settings.

    Due to battery draining, it is not a good idea to leave Bluetooth enabled when it is not being used. With this in mind, it is strange to find that in order to switch Bluetooth off, Apple makes users jump through a series of hoops in a process that takes several taps. Bluetooth OnOff is a simple little utility that reduces this to a one or two tap process so if you need to enable Bluetooth for a quick gaming session, you can do so in around a second.

    Bluetooth OnOff can be used in one of two ways. The first option is to launch the app and then manually select the option to enable or disable Bluetooth, but by adjusting app settings you’ll find that there is a better option available. The app can be set up so that Bluetooth is switched on or off as soon as the app is launched, reducing the amount of time it takes to switch settings even further.

    The app features a built in chatting option, but in all likelihood this is just a façade to help get a hady utility through to the store. If you’ve been frustrated by Apple’s restrictions but don’t fancy the idea of jailbreaking your iOS device, this may just be what you have been waiting for -- and at this low price you have very little to lose in testing it out for yourself.

    You can find out more about the app by paying a visit to the Bluetooth OnOff review page.

  • Permalink for 'IObit Advanced SystemCare adds antivirus protection'

    IObit Advanced SystemCare adds antivirus protection

    Posted: April 19th, 2012, 6:28am MDT by Mike Williams

    PC maintenance specialist IObit has released the first public beta of Advanced SystemCare with Antivirus 2012. Which, as you’ll guess from the name, not only now caters to all your PC maintenance needs, but also includes a full antivirus package as well.

    The beta takes a dual-engine approach to protecting your PC, using both IObit and BitDefender technology to detect and block threats. And essentially it provides all the features you’d expect from a basic antivirus package. So you can run quick, full or custom scans; a simple scheduler allows you to configure scans to run automatically; and conveniences like a Silent Mode reduce unnecessary alerts when you’re playing games or other full-screen applications.

    The inclusion of a full antivirus module in Advanced SystemCare seems like a natural progression for the package, but it does also introduce some potential problems, in particular the possibility of conflicts with other security tools that you might have running. These are generally detected during installation, when you’re given the possibility to run the program in “Compatibility Mode”, which essentially turns off real-time protection to reduce the chance of issues. But, of course, if you’re not going to use the program’s new real-time antivirus protection then there’s probably not much point installing it in the first place.

    Still, Advanced SystemCare does have plenty of other features on offer. As with previous releases, the program can automatically clean the Registry, delete your Windows and application tracks, clean junk files and more; and there are stacks of tools to clean away unnecessary junk, optimize your system performance, repair problems, detect and fix security issues and more. Despite the “beta” tag everything seems very stable, so if you’re interested in the package then download your copy of Advanced SystemCare with Antivirus 2012 beta now.

  • Permalink for 'Ashampoo Photo Commander 10 adds new 'quick fix' options'

    Ashampoo Photo Commander 10 adds new 'quick fix' options

    Posted: April 19th, 2012, 5:10am MDT by Nick Peers

    German software developer Ashampoo has released Ashampoo Photo Commander 10, a major new build of its photo management and editing tool for Windows. Version 10 introduces a number of new tools, features as well as performance improvements.

    Ashampoo Photo Commander 10 adds two new photo tools, Repair Pen and Focus Effect Tool, alongside an Effect preview browser, plus adds support for directly uploading photos to three popular social networks.

    The new photo tools are added to Ashampoo’s existing “quick-fix” selection. Repair Pen is designed for retouching facial impurities, while the new Focus Effect tool reduces the depth of field to allow professional portrait effects such as defocussing the background to be achieved within the program with existing images.

    Ashampoo Photo Commander 10 also introduces new gradation curve and histogram tools for correcting lighting problems -- the newly integrated histogram tool makes it easy to see critical data such as exposure time, focus and white balance.

    The social networking tools work with YouTube, Facebook and Picasa, and allow users to add photos to existing albums as well as creating new ones from scratch. Uploaded files can be resized and all metadata stripped for privacy purposes if necessary.

    A new Effect preview browser makes it easy to see how different effects will alter the currently selected photo, while version 10 also adds support for the new Google WebP image format as well as color profiles in JPEG files. It also claims improved support for importing RAW formats from digital cameras.

    Despite these new features, Ashampoo claims Photo Commander 10 promises better performance and faster loading times thanks to more efficient memory usage, plus wraps everything up in a streamlined user interface with more intuitive navigation thanks to fewer symbols cluttering up the menu navigation structure.

    Ashampoo Photo Commander 10 is available now as a free trial download for PCs running Windows XP or later. The full version retails for $49.99.

    Photo Credit: Laborant/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Is Microsoft's carrot enough for businesses to take the Windows 8 Enterprise stick?'

    Is Microsoft's carrot enough for businesses to take the Windows 8 Enterprise stick?

    Posted: April 18th, 2012, 7:21pm MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Microsoft pours out the Windows 8 news this week, ahead of fiscal 2012 third quarter earnings results. Yesterday, the company revealed the new SKUs and Windows Server 2012 naming. Today comes more information on the most distinct edition -- Windows 8 Enterprise. I debated all day what to write about the software, feeling that there's more marketing speak than substantive information in the blog post announcement. The devil is in the details as they say, and never more than Windows Enterprise and so-called Software Assurance benefits coming with it.

    That's because Enterprise is a slippery slope for large businesses to climb. Most enterprises acquire Windows on new PCs -- OEMs account for 75 percent of sales -- but from there Microsoft licensing rules get sticky. Businesses can reimage PCs based on whatever license rights they have. Those wanting to deploy Windows Enterprise must take on something else: Software Assurance is required and adds considerable upfront cost: 29 percent of the full price for two or three years, paid annually. The real benefits -- that carrot -- are all about licensing, for those businesses willing to be beat by the stick (Software Assurance).

    Assessing Software Assurance

    Eleven months ago, Pica Communications president Paul DeGroot wrote an 8-part Microsoft licensing series for BetaNews. Microsoft has tweaked licensing over the past year, largely to support the cloud and Windows 8 Enterprise Software Assurance reflects some of the tweaking. Largely, what DeGroot laid out in May 2011 still holds true. That 29 percent works out to 13 percent savings over a three-year annuity contract. He explains:

    At 29 percent a year on desktop products like Windows and Office, if you hold out for four years or more, the non-SA customer will pay 'only' 100 percent for the upgrade license, while the SA customer will pay 116 percent. In effect, the Software Assurance customer is paying a 16 percent premium to get a 13 percent discount. In fact, since larger business customers pay for Software Assurance three years at a time, they pay 87 percent for the first three years, and if they renew SA without getting an upgrade, another 87 percent for the next three years. That adds up to 174 percent, or a 74 percent premium to get a 13 percent discount.

    Most enterprises upgrade less frequently than three or even four years, based on multiple analyst studies and an easily observable situation: More than 10 years after its release -- with Vista and 7 in between, XP is still the most widely deployed Windows. As an upgrade plan, for the majority of large businesses buying Windows, Software Assurance is no benefit at all from cost-savings perspective.

    However, one benefit is commonly used -- and it's one Microsoft likes to keep secret: Many large businesses use annuity contracts to exercise downgrade rights, so they can maintain compatability across the organization. So they buy new PCs with, say, Windows 7 and reimage with XP.

    But there are other benefits that Microsoft touts, and few have done much to increase Enterprise Edition adoption. When Windows 7 launched nearly three years ago, OEMs accounted for 80 percent of sales. Since, with Microsoft all but forcing enterprises to take Software Assurance, there has been 5 percent shift. I have argued since Vista's release more than 5 five years ago that the Software Assurance requirement discourages enterprises from deploying newer Windows versions.

    Microsoft won't change, because it wants for Windows what it has with Office: The majority of sales are tied to lucrative annuity contracts, not uncertain PC sales.

    Enterprise Edition Benefits

    Microsoft's Software Assurance stick is hard. What about the carrot? In today's blog post, Erwin Visser breaks down the benefits by features and licensing terms -- but they're really all about licensing. Microsoft makes a choice to license certain features in one Windows 8 edition or another. There is no technical reason, as there might be for hardware, for any distinction. About features, he explains:

    • Windows To Go is a fully manageable corporate Windows 8 desktop on a bootable external USB stick. This will allow IT organizations to support the “Bring Your Own PC” trend and businesses can give contingent staff access to the corporate environment without compromising security.
    • DirectAccess allows remote users to seamlessly access resources inside a corporate network without having to launch a separate VPN and helps IT administrators keep remote users’ PCs in compliance by applying the latest policies, software updates, is easier to deploy, and it can be implemented with the existing IPv4 infrastructure.
    • BranchCache allows users’ PCs to cache files, websites, and other content from central servers, so content is not repeatedly downloaded across the wide area network (WAN). When used with Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 brings several improvements to BranchCache to streamline the deployment process, optimize bandwidth over WAN connections and ensure better security and scalabilty.
    • AppLocker can help mitigate issues by restricting the files and apps that users or groups are allowed to run.
    • VDI enhancements: Enhancements in Microsoft RemoteFX and Windows Server 2012, provide users with a rich desktop experience with the ability to play 3D graphics, use USB peripherals and use touch-enabled devices across any type of network (LAN or WAN) for VDI scenarios.
    • New Windows 8 App Deployment: Domain joined PCs and tablets running Windows 8 Enterprise will automatically be enabled to side-load internal, Windows 8 Metro style apps.

    Regarding benefits directly related to Software Assurance:

    • Windows To Go Use Rights: Windows To Go will allow companies to support Bring Your Own PC scenarios and will give employees who need to work from home more secure access to their full corporate environment. With Windows To Go use rights under Software Assurance, an employee will be able to use Windows To Go on any company PC licensed with Windows SA as well as from their home PC. Additionally, through a new companion device license for SA, employees will be able to use WTG on their personal devices at work.
    • Windows RT Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) Rights: When used as a companion of a Windows Software Assurance licensed PC, Windows RT will automatically receive extended VDA rights. These rights will provide access to a full VDI image running in the datacenter which will make Windows RT a great complementary tablet option for business customers.
    • Companion Device License: For customers who want to provide full flexibility for how employees access their corporate desktop across devices, we are introducing a new Companion Device License for Windows SA customers. For users of Windows Software Assurance licensed PCs this optional add-on will provide rights to access a corporate desktop either through VDI or Windows To Go on up to four personally owned devices.

    In looking over both lists, I make an immediate observation: The major benefits are all about enabling businesses to better handle different device types. Stated differently: Windows 8 Enterprise is Microsoft's solution to businesses' consumerization of IT problem -- if you can really call it a problem.

    Analysts Weigh In

    When Microsoft introduced Software Assurance in May 2001, it positioned the annuity license plan for upgrades. But over time, businesses consistently used SA to exercise the aforementioned downgrade rights, while many others chose to pay full price since they wouldn't upgrade any sooner than four years. Microsoft responded by adding so-called benefits, such as home use rights, to tempt more enterprises to Software Assurance. The real question about Windows 8 Enterprise: Are the select features and new SA benefits enough for the bulk of businesses?

    "The transition is going to be pretty slow for enterprise", Roger Kay, Endpoint Technologies president told me today. "It always is, and it seems like the pace of OS turnover is slowing as the incremental increase in value of each transition declines (oddly, because the last one was so good)".

    In looking at new features, "there is some new value here", Kay says, "but is it enough to stimulate a large-scale transition? The Win7 transition is still under way. So, I'd say first tentative experiments in 2012 and 2013, more adoption in 2014, and flood tide in 2015". Oh? If Microsoft keeps to releasing a new Windows every three years, the tide would like, Windows 8 this year, flood the new version.

    DeGroot is a bit more optimistic, but not exactly glowing. He told me today:

    Windows RT VDA rights and the Companion device licenses could be very important. While I still think Microsoft's VDI licensing stinks, and this doesn't change it a lot, these new rights are vastly superior to the current SA Roaming Right for Windows, which are ridiculously restrictive. The SA Roaming Right only gives you the right to use third-party devices over other people's networks.

    My short description of this is that it gives you the right to access corporate resources only over insecure networks from untrusted devices. These two benefits, in contrast get it right: SA on Win 8 will give customers the added flexibility that they should have been getting all along when they bought SA.

    Earlier today, Microsoft refreshed Intune. Licensing changes related to Windows 8 Enterprise are promising.

    "The accompanying Windows Intune blot/release says you'll be able to manage up to four addtional devices, and it will cover iPads, Android, etc, at the same $11 a month price", DeGroot explains. "I have always thought Intune was seriously overpriced, but this really can deliver value, and it's much better for mobile devices than using conventional management tools".

    That circles back to the actual features and extent of their appeal.

    "They've got some new stuff here: AppLocker, probably the VDI stuff (although it would be nice to get a closer look), the sideloading of Metro apps", Kay says. "I imagine Windows To Go and DirectAccess, taken together, make a pretty nice offering".

    DeGroot sees Microsoft making an important concession to all businesses that actually diminishes Windows 8 Enterprise's appeal. "The two most important enterprise pieces, BitLocker and the MUI, are in Win 8 Pro and don't require SA anymore. I'm happy to see those changes, but they also reduce the value of SA somewhat", he says.

    "The other stuff, like App Locker, DirectAccess, BranchCache, are features that some folks appreciate, but they're not going to drive many people to Enterprise", he adds. "Microsoft is always evolving RDP, and I'll give them credit for an excellent job there, so I'm not sure what additional VDI enhancements SA provides".

    Consider all this an introduction to posing the question to you and your IT organization: Is Microsoft promising enough for you to seriously consider adopting Windows 8 Enterprise, particularly if you don't have Software Assurance coverage today?

    Photo Credit: mikeledray/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Painless IT administration is easier than you think'

    Painless IT administration is easier than you think

    Posted: April 18th, 2012, 5:52pm MDT by BetaNews Staff

    IT administration can be a daunting task, and require hours of additional work to ensure a deployment is operating properly and at peak efficiency. Oftentimes, administrators are faced with overly complex administration software that takes months or even years to figure out.

    Worse yet, this software is "built in the bubble"; that is, developers create the platform based on what they think the administrator needs rather than what he or she wants. This results in software that does not mold to the needs of its users, and further adds to its complexity.

    That's where Austin, Texas-based Solarwinds comes in to the picture. Founded in 1999, the software maker serves about 93,000 customers from small business up through Fortune 500 companies. Solarwinds' focus is what it calls "user-centric software", and the company has built its suite of products around this premise.

    Making IT Work for You

    "We believe that the IT pros who use our products everyday should be excited about them", the company says. "That's why we put our users first in everything we do, and strive to deliver powerful functionality while making their jobs easier". This should be music to an IT administrator's ears, given the state of most of the software out there today.

    Solarwinds prides itself in building flexible software to meet the diverse needs of IT, while keeping in close touch with professionals to ensure the software is meeting the needs of the administrator. Since Solarwinds' products are built by administrators themselves, better software is the result.

    A better equipped IT department means a more efficient enterprise, especially these days where a company's use of technology is a major key to success. "IT departments looking to stay competitive should ask themselves what direction their company is heading, identify the goals and determine IT's strategic role", Solarwinds senior product management director Jonathan Reeve says. "The good news is that IT departments already have the upper-hand in understanding the unique requirements of the businesses they support".

    How can this company help you maintain a competitive edge? Below, we take a look at three of Solarwinds' most compelling products.

    Staying Fast and Nimble

    The larger the deployment, the more difficult it is to make sure everything runs in tip-top shape. Having the capability to measure performance of both the applications you run and the servers that power them is the first step in trouble-free IT administration.

    Solarwinds' Server & Application Monitor does that, offering reporting and alerting to issues in your environment. The setup automatically detects active servers and applications in your deployment, monitors for issues with Microsoft's Exchange and Active Directory and performance issues with Java applications, for example. Compatibility with Dell, HP, and IBM System X servers allows for extensive reporting and diagnosis of problems on the server side.

    Solarwinds' expertise also shines in that Server & Application Monitor includes built-in suggestions on optimal performance for popular apps and servers to assist in diagnosis and remedying of detected issues. The company also includes a "knowledge base" including broader tips on how to run efficient IT environments to further optimize your deployment.

    Server & Application Monitor licensing begins at $2,495, with a 30-day free trial available.

    Tackle Issues Before They're Problems

    There’s always room for trouble in any IT environment, thus an established system in place to warn of potentially serious issues is vital. Such a system should be able to warn you of negative events and be able to isolate the issue quickly with ample time to react.

    Log & Event Manager is Solarwinds' answer to this issue, and will provide that key line of first defense. Say a running service in your environment begins to malfunction. Log & Event Manager's console warns of this, and presents the administrator with options to mitigate the issue, such as restarting the service.

    Active Response & Threat Mitigation is a key feature of this product. Quick action is key in today's world where an administrator can be dealing with any number of security threats. Log & Event Manager automatically quarantines infected machines and IP address without user interaction, preventing significant security issues well before they become serious problems.

    Solarwinds offers a 30-day free trial of Log & Event Manager, as well as offering licenses starting at $4,495.

    Don't Get Caught in Patch Hell

    Making sure apps and tools across your environment are up-to-date can be a serious undertaking. But not keeping on top of it is equally serious; any unpatched issue in apps in use by your users could be opening the network up to potential security risks. Developing a solid updating strategy is a vital step in ensuring network health.

    So what should you look for in a service to help you stay on top of such an important facet of IT administration? Your selected solution should have the following features: the ability to deploy patches automatically and dynamically, which allows for minimal disruption in your IT deployment; the ability to scan the entire network to locate unauthorized and unpatched machines; and the capability to ensure the patch was installed right the first time.

    Solarwinds' Patch Manager includes these features. This service catalogs third-party patches from a host of vendors including Adobe, Apple, Google, Mozilla, and Sun. It also pre-tests these patches, which ensures a problem-free installation when you are ready to apply them.

    Patch Manager automates the process of patching and allows for the control of its rollout. This is a good thing, as applying a patch everywhere at once can be disastrous. As any administrator will tell you, Murphy's Law is always in effect when it comes to network administration. By staggering the rollout through Patch Manager IT administrators will be able to monitor and adapt based on the results.

    Knowing is half the battle, they say. Patch Manager offers the capability to quickly see across your environment who is unpatched, improperly patched, or worse yet unauthorized. This further tightens up your environment, ensuring all users are using the latest and safest software.

    Like all of Solarwinds offerings, Patch Manager is available for download as a 30-day trial, and begins at $2,995.

    Editor's Note: Solarwinds sponsored this post.

    Photo Credit: .shock/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Intel's 'year of transitions' begins next week'

    Intel's 'year of transitions' begins next week

    Posted: April 18th, 2012, 3:33pm MDT by Tim Conneally

    Chipmaker Intel held steady in the first quarter of 2012, experiencing a dip in profits, but a very slight increase in revenue, beating the company's own expectations. Quarterly revenue was $12.9 billion, operating income was $3.8 billion, net income was $2.7 billion and earnings per share was $0.53.

    "Q1 was a solid quarter and provides a great setup for year of important transitions based upon a foundation of growing process technology leadership," said Intel CEO Paul Otellini in the company's earnings call Tuesday evening.

    These major transitions are quickly approaching, and they're squarely aimed at consumers. There are big things coming to the enterprise and server side in 2012 (specifically the Atom-based microserver "Centerton" SoC, which will launch in the second half,) but the big things next week will be for the consumer.

    Ivy Bridge

    After some delays early in the first quarter, Intel's flagship 22nm, the tri-gate 3D microprocessor family Ivy Bridge is expected to launch within the next week.

    Once it launches, Ivy Bridge will become Intel's fastest ramping product yet. The company expects Ivy Bridge to comprise one-fourth of all its volume this quarter, and half of its shipments by the fourth quarter.

    This is because Ivy Bridge is tied into the upcoming wave of hardware optimized for Windows 8. Otellini said the 2012 holiday season will play host to a series of new notebook/tablet hybrids and touch-enabled notebooks, which will give us all a lot to look forward to.

    Joining the Android revolution


    The first Intel-based smartphone is launching this week. We all know it, and Intel does not want us to forget it.

    After Lenovo, Motorola, and a handful of network operators jumped on board Intel's maiden voyage into Android smartphones, the world got to see what Intel could do with Android.

    So what's the difference anyway? What is a consumer going to know about the difference between an ARM-based smartphone, or one based on the x86 architecture? Judging by Intel's early demos, product positioning and the crowd to whom it has appealed, it looks like gaming is going to be the big differentiator for Intel smartphones.

  • Permalink for 'Microsoft refreshes Windows Intune, debuts cross-platform mobile device management'

    Microsoft refreshes Windows Intune, debuts cross-platform mobile device management

    Posted: April 18th, 2012, 12:41pm MDT by Ed Oswald

    Tuesday at the Microsoft Management Summit in Las Vegas the topic was the private cloud and the public availability of System Center 2012. Microsoft switched gears on Wednesday and revealed details on the next version of Windows Intune, its public cloud offering.

    Wednesday's Intune release is a beta version limited to 10 PCs. It will support all versions of Windows after XP Service Pack 3, but is currently incompatible with Windows 8, and "will not support Windows 8 until after it is generally available" according to the company.

    Intune is targeted towards small and medium businesses, and offers hardware, software, and security monitoring in the cloud. In some ways, Intune is the browser-based version of System Center at a far cheaper price. IT administrators can deploy Intune for $11 per seat.

    Microsoft wants to adapt Intune to the realities of today's workplace, where users bring their own devices into the workplace. "Whether corporate or user-owned, one of our goals with Windows Intune is to help manage and secure mobile devices without adding onerous cost and complexity", Intune marketing chief Eric Main says. As a result, the option to manage up to four mobile devices per seat is now included at no additional cost.

    Integration with both Windows Server Active Directory and Microsoft Exchange Server is included in this release. This permits IT administrators to manage policies for devices even if they are not owned by the organization, and allow for security functionality such as remote wipe to be activated in the event a device is lost.

    These features will work on any device that has Exchange ActiveSync support, meaning Intune will be able to manage both iOS and Android devices in addition to any Windows-powered devices in the organization. Microsoft says it will support Windows Phone 7, iOS 4.0 and later, and Android 2.1 and later for mobile device management.

    The third refresh of Intune includes enhancements in user management. From the web-based console, administrators can now manage software for individual users through connectivity with Windows Azure's Active Directory. This will also keep user accounts and security groups synchronized with Intune for easier administration.

    Azure Active Directory is described by Microsoft as a platform to "bring your applications to the cloud easily. You can enable single sign-on, security enhanced applications, and simple interoperability with existing Active Directory deployments using Access Control Service (ACS)".

    Finally, Microsoft is enabling a self-service portal that permits users to download and use apps and tools authorized for use on the network. What apps the user has access to can be tailored based on the user group the account belongs to. "This enables IT to post apps that users might want to use, rather than push out to their PCs", Main explains.

    "With Windows, our goal is to give end users the experiences they love and offer enterprise grade solutions that organizations need", Main says. "The next release of Windows Intune will do just that – it will help solve the consumerization challenge that businesses are facing today, and because Windows Intune is cloud-based, partners and customers get to take advantage of innovations as soon as they’re available".

    Photo Credit: Digital Storm/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'Track programs' progress with Tell When Done'

    Track programs' progress with Tell When Done

    Posted: April 18th, 2012, 12:05pm MDT by Mike Williams

    When you’ve set up your PC to carry out some lengthy task -- transcode a host of videos, say -- it can be useful to know when it’s finished. But unfortunately not every program bothers to make this obvious, which means you might regularly find yourself manually monitoring progress windows in an effort to keep an eye on what’s going on.

    Sounds familiar? Then you may like to try Tell When Done, a tiny portable tool which aims to provide the progress alert which some programs are missing.

    To use the program, first set it running in the background (it only consumes around 5MB RAM, not bad at all). Next, set up the application you’d like to monitor: the video conversion tool, say. Once it’s running, press the Tell When Done hotkey (Windows key + T, although this can be changed). The program will now track the CPU usage of your application. And as soon as it seems to have finished, Tell When Done will display an audio alert and a pop-up dialog to let you know.

    This worked just fine in our tests of simple applications. We set them working; they stopped; the pop-up alert appeared right away. This really could be very useful for programs which don’t have obvious “Finished!” alerts of their own.

    We didn’t have the same success all the time, though, unfortunately. If the process you’re monitoring actually launches another helper process to do the real work, say, Tell Well Done doesn’t appear to be smart enough to detect this. It’ll not realise that it needs to watch the helper process as well, and display its “finished” dialog right away, even if the program has barely started.

    Still, Tell When Done remains an interesting idea which can be effective sometimes. Just expect some trial and error before you find out precisely what the program can do for you.

    Photo Credit: Sukharevskyy Dmytro (nevodka)/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'I applaud Windows 8 versions because I remember pure XP'

    I applaud Windows 8 versions because I remember pure XP

    Posted: April 18th, 2012, 11:58am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    I certainly hadn't planned on responding to a story written in 2003 today. But, hey, the Internet's memory is better than an elephant's -- and I've been called to task for "forgetting". Most certainly I did not forget. Circumstances changed.

    Yesterday, while waiting for my 90 year-old father-in-law at the optometrist, I got out my smartphone and started scanning Tumblr posts. One led to a Time magazine story about the "Hug Me Coke Machine", which I Tumblred hours late. While at Time's site, I spied something else: "Windows 8 Versions: The News Is Mostly Good" by Harry McCracken. He referred back to my old CNET story "Windows faces new competition: Itself", about fragmenting versions, and contrasted it against my more recent musings for BetaNews. Thanks for remembering, Harry.

    XP Fragmented

    Microsoft launched Windows XP with two versions: Home and Professional, but quickly added more: Embedded, Media Center, Tablet PC and 64-bit, among them. End users could easily buy 32-bit or 64-bit Home and Pro editions but not Embedded, Media Center or Tablet (and much later Starter), which shipped on new hardware -- like Windows RT will, presumably, later this year. I observed then that Microsoft confused customers by fragmenting Windows and attempted to artificially create competition in a monopoly market.

    People want choice, and there was little of it and for many; the existing Windows installed on corporate and consumer PCs was good enough. Microsoft wanted to create competition that might spur upgrades. The strategy failed -- more on the significance later.

    The XP fragmentation story posted in April 2003, within weeks of my leaving CNET and joining Jupiter Research as analyst responsible for the Microsoft practice. Two-and-half years later, I met Microsoft product managers to discuss Windows Vista. The company planned to greatly expand the number of Windows editions but, in the end, not as many as discussed during that meeting.

    Whither Windows 8

    Now fast forward to this week's announcement, where Microsoft modestly trimmed Windows 8 editions. For the majority of non-Chinese speaking users there are two: Windows 8 and Pro. This is the software that will ship on new PCs or you can buy to upgrade Windows 7 systems. These are largely comparable to Windows XP Home and Pro. Microsoft also will keep the Enterprise Edition introduced with Windows Vista that is available only through volume-licensing and release a Chinese-language Windows 8 version. Like Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, the new Windows RT, for devices running on ARM processors, will be available only on new hardware.

    That brings me to McCracken's story. He writes:

    People somtimes pine for the Windows XP era and talk about XP coming in just two well-defined editions: Home and Professional.  (Here’s Joe Wilcox recently doing that -- even though he wrote that 2003 article about the excessive number of XP versions.) They seem to be forgetting that XP is where the concept of endless specialized versions of Windows began. You had your Tablet PC Edition, your Media Center Edition, your Starter Edition, forgotten variants such as Windows XP for subscription computers.

    I agree that "XP is where the concept of endless specialized versions of Windows began". But Windows XP also started with only two versions, in October 2001, and that's my point in the stories McCracken references and the newest: "Three Windows 8 versions is just right". I don't drum on about the endless XP versions because they're no more. The hardware-only versions are way out of vogue, if you can find them for sale anywhere at all. The editions that matter -- the ones installed on hundreds of millions PCs are Home and Pro, sprinkled with a little Starter for good measure.

    Remember This

    I didn't forget; what happened to Windows XP editions between 2003 and 2007 isn't relevant to the current discussion or what's available in the market. But getting back to basics -- two versions for x86 processors that end users can buy and install -- is. Meaning: What Microsoft released in October 2001. As I've repeatedly expressed, one Windows would be even better -- going even more back to basics. Windows 95 was one version for businesses and consumers. That's the ideal product scenario: Windows 8 for x86 and Windows RT for ARM, and nothing more.

    Windows XP Media Center and Media Center editions were market failures. They sold poorly. Microsoft tried to recoup them and artificially create choice by expanding the number of editions with Windows Vista. Ultimate replaced Tablet PC and Media Center. Today Microsoft sells six Windows 7 editions, three at retail (Home, Professional and Ultimate), which is tacit admission the number is too many. Basic and Starter come on new computers and Enterprise is volume-license only.

    The big difference is something I predicted in February 2006, which sets apart the versioning strategy adopted with Windows Vista from that extended from two Windows XP editions: "The version strategy may also allow Microsoft to do something not done in more than a decade: Raise desktop operating system prices, a tact that can be difficult to take in a market where one product dominates and where monopoly and a contentious antitrust case cast long shadows". That's exactly what happened by introducing Ultimate and strong-arm licensing tactics for Enterprise (Microsoft demands enterprises use this edition, which also requires paying extra for Software Assurance).

    I didn't forget. I made reference to what was Windows XP at launch and what it is today as widely-deployed software: Home and Pro. Then there is what Microsoft did with new editions later on: Effectively raise prices in a non-competitive market. Everyone would be wise to remember that and wonder, with increased competition from non-PC devices and Macs running other operating systems, what Microsoft will charge end users, OEMs and volume-license subscribers for Windows 8.

  • Permalink for 'Verizon Wireless agrees to sell off wireless spectrum pending $3.6B cable deal'

    Verizon Wireless agrees to sell off wireless spectrum pending $3.6B cable deal

    Posted: April 18th, 2012, 10:15am MDT by Tim Conneally


    Mobile network operator Verizon Wireless on Wednesday announced it will be auctioning off all of its 700 MHz A and B spectrum licenses if it can obtain the AWS licenses from SpectrumCo, a joint venture held by the United States' biggest multi-network operators: Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Cox, and Leap Wireless.

    Last December, SpectrumCo announced it would be selling 122 licenses in the AWS spectrum to Verizon Wireless for $3.6 billion so the wireless carrier could further build out its 4G LTE network, which currently resides in the upper C band in the 700MHz block.

    As a part of the spectrum sale, Verizon Wireless and SpectrumCo drafted several agreements in which the cable companies and Verizon Wireless would become agents to sell each other's products. Furthermore, the cable companies would gain wholesale access to Verizon Wireless' services.

    This would all have to pass regulatory muster, of course, and this is the reason for the spectrum sale.

    "Since wireless operators, large and small, have expressed concern about the availability of high-quality spectrum, we believe our 700 MHz licenses will be attractive to a wide range of buyers," said Molly Feldman, vice president of Business Development for Verizon Wireless in a statement on Wednesday. "Moreover, provided our acquisition of AWS spectrum is approved, our open sale process will ensure these A and B spectrum licenses are quickly and fairly made available for the benefit of other carriers and their customers."

    The A block licenses constitute the major metropolitan areas of: New York, Philadelphia, Washington-Baltimore, Orlando, Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Denver, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco and Sacramento.

    The B block licenses constitute cellular market regions which tend to be the more suburban and rural areas, but include such areas as Chicago, Memphis, and Charlotte among the list of more than fifty zones.

  • Permalink for 'Microsoft, Nokia, don't cheat Lumia owners of Windows Phone 8'

    Microsoft, Nokia, don't cheat Lumia owners of Windows Phone 8

    Posted: April 18th, 2012, 9:01am MDT by Joe Wilcox

    Children often suffer when parents make bad decisions. For the marriage of Microsoft and Nokia, there is trouble looming for the kids -- that's you, buyers of Lumia smartphones. The next version of Windows Phone codename Apollo may not be supported. That's the rumor shooting across the web today. Here's one bit of gossip every current Windows Phone owner should hope is wrong.

    I've got no inside intelligence here, hearing nothing either way about Lumia upgrades. But I can see scenarios where Apollo might be a problem, particularly for older CPUs or GPUs. For example, all current Windows Phones are single-core. Surely double-core handsets are coming, but will the software support single-core CPUs? It's the first question to ask, with rumors a flying and Microsoft not denying.

    Microsoft has long made backward compatibility a top design priority, and that's something I can only hope won't change for Windows Phone. So far, Microsoft has done right by end users, quickly dispatching Windows Phone software upgrades and supporting most existing hardware. Looking ahead, anything less would be a marketing disaster for flagship handsets.

    AT&T started selling Lumia 900 here in the United States on April 8, in three colors. White model hits stores April 22. The smartphone is Nokia's flagship, for which Microsoft and its partners are spending beacoup bucks to market. Then what, a few months into subscribers' two-year contractual commitment, they discover their sizzling hot Windows Phone is obsolete? Say it ain't so, Microsoft and Nokia.

    But if it's true, they can't say anything. It's a rock and a hard place. What Microsoft, Nokia or Windows Phone enthusiasts will buy now knowing they'll be cheated later? Silence is confirmation, if it persists. Speak up Nokia and Microsoft. Tell us you'll do the right thing by customers -- in the way we expect you to.

    CNET's Lance Whitney asks my question: "No Windows Phone 8 upgrade for you?" The Verge has conflicting reports: "Sources: current Windows Phone devices will not get 'Apollo' upgrade" and "All Windows Phones to get upgrade to 'next major version,' according to Microsoft developer evangelist" both by Dieter Bohn. The "no upgrade" story is more recent and the one setting off lots of InterWeb chatter this morning.

    The trouble I see is Lumia. Backward compatibility can only go so far. It's not reasonable to expect Microsoft to support the oldest Windows Phones. Lumia is different, however. The first handsets hit market late last year, and Lumia 900 is freshly baked. Lumia is the first offspring of the Microsoft-Nokia marriage. There are high expectations here, which Apollo could lay low.

    Microsoft, Nokia, do the right thing. Don't cheat Lumia owners of Windows Phone 8.

  • Permalink for 'Adapter 1.4 converts video for new iPad's retina display'

    Adapter 1.4 converts video for new iPad's retina display

    Posted: April 18th, 2012, 7:56am MDT by Nick Peers

    If you’re a PC user looking for a free tool to both download and convert video between a large number of different formats, you’re well covered, with the likes of Freemake Video Converter offering all the tools you need. But what if you’re a Mac user?

    Free video downloading and converting tools, such as MacTubes and Handbrake exist, but you end up mixing and matching to get the functionality you want. Not any more: now Mac users can get all these features in a single free tool, called Adapter 1.4.

    Adapter, which is also available for Windows, allows you to convert to and from a wide variety of formats -- while Handbrake supports a large number of input formats, you can only output to MP4 or MKV. Adapter, by contrast, also supports AVI, MPG and even Flash video as output formats too.

    As you’d expect with a tool like this, you can either manually tweak your output settings to perfection, or choose from a variety of presets covering a wide number of consoles and mobile devices -- version 1.4 added support for the new iPad’s retina display and Apple TV 2.

    Adapter also features a video trimming tool, which allows you to shave the beginning and end of your video to remove unwanted extras. You can even extract the audio from a video track for listening to independently.

    The program also comes with its own built-in web browser, which allows you to go hunting for Flash-based video such as that hosted on YouTube. It’ll automatically add video to a downloads panel, and from here you can download and convert for viewing on your computer or portable device when offline.

    As we stated earlier, Adapter is also available for Windows users, although its development seems to have stalled (the current version is 1.0.30). Since that release, the Mac version has evolved a brand new interface, plus improved conversion filters and added support for a wider range of devices. One reason to download it sooner rather than later, however, is this line from the program’s FAQ: “How much does Adapter cost? Adapter is free for a limited time.”

    With that in mind, you might want to hurry over to our download site now: Adapter is available as a freeware download for both Mac (version 1.4) and Windows (version 1.0.30).

  • Permalink for 'Regain your online privacy with Spotflux'

    Regain your online privacy with Spotflux

    Posted: April 18th, 2012, 6:28am MDT by Mike Williams

    If you’re looking to maintain your privacy online then you could sign up for a VPN service. But which one? There’s a lot of choice, and if you’re a networking novice then figuring out which service is right for you can be a real challenge.

    But that’s where Spotflux comes in. This interesting new VPN service comes packed with useful functionality --- encryption, ad-blocking, antivirus and more -- yet really couldn’t be any easier to configure.

    We downloaded and launched the client, for example, which walked us through a simple setup process. And that was it, no need to reboot, everything was working right away.

    Our connection was now encrypted, then. Our location was concealed (we had a new public-facing IP address). And as our traffic was redirected through the Spotflux servers, it also stripped out ads, tracking cookies, viruses, malware and more.

    What was most remarkable, though, was the lack of any interface complexity at all. The main window only allows you to enable or disable Spotflux with a click. And even the settings dialog didn’t contain anything much: you can set the UI language, define how updates are to be installed and configure an optional proxy, but that’s about it.

    If there’s a small problem it’s in a slight but noticeable delay when surfing via Spotflux. Overall the system still performs well for a free VPN, though, so if you’re looking to maintain your online privacy without any of the usual technical hassles then the program definitely merits a closer look.

    Lakhesis/Shutterstock

  • Permalink for 'So long Read It Later, Hello Pocket'

    So long Read It Later, Hello Pocket

    Posted: April 18th, 2012, 5:15am MDT by Mark Wilson

    Do you find that you never have time to read the articles you discover online? In the past you may have turned to Read It Later to bookmark a site so that you can refer back to it later, but now there is a new analogy to work with. Read It Later has been re-launched as Pocket, so you can now ‘pocket’ those stories you don’t have time to read right now and save them to your online account ready for when you have more spare time.

    The rebranding is more than just a change of name; there are also new features that you can take advantage of as well as a redesigned interface. Whether you are surfing the web in your preferred browser, or you discover an interesting link on Twitter or Facebook, Pocket enables you to quickly and effectively bookmark pages, images and videos so you can easily access them later. Content can be saved using a browser extension or using the dedicated iOS or Android apps.

    Whichever method you use to save, your content is synched to your account so it can be accessed from any device with an Internet connection. Spend a little while working with the service and you’ll no doubt find that you very quickly build up a pretty extensive list of articles you have saved. To make it easier to root through them, you have the option of filtering content by type as well as using the search tool to home in on a particular article based on title or URL.

    The redesigned interface has something of a familiar feel to it as it boasts a Metro-inspired tile based look. This is all very neat and distraction-free, and when you clip any article for reading later you can view just the content of the article itself without the unnecessary page furniture of the web site it came from. With support for a massive range of apps as well as various browser extensions, Pocket has improved upon the already impressive options available in Read It Later.

    You can find out more and download a free copy of the app for iOS and Android by paying a visit to the Pocket review page. There are also browser extensions available for Chrome and Firefox.

    • Skip to page: 1 2 3 ... 6
     
    ← broadbandreports.com Dev Shed - The Open Source Web Develo... →